How much does a tutor cost per hour in Canada?

Tutoring rates in Canada depend mostly on who's doing the tutoring. Students charge about $10 to $20 an hour, tutoring companies about $42 to $55, and certified teachers $57 or more. Most tutors on TutorLyft charge $40 to $75.

Maybe the report card came home with a mark that surprised everyone, or your teenager finally admitted that chemistry stopped making sense back in October. Either way, you'll want to know what's a fair price before you start reaching out. Below, you'll find what each kind of tutor charges, what changes the price, in-person rates in Canada's biggest cities, free help in your province and what a month of tutoring adds up to.

Tutoring rates by type of tutor

The word "tutor" covers everyone from a Grade 12 student helping a neighbour's kid to a certified teacher with decades in the classroom. As you'll see, the kind of tutor you hire changes the price much more than where you live.

Students who tutor

High school and university students often tutor younger kids or classmates. Indeed's Canadian career guide, updated in August 2026, puts students working as private tutors at $10 to $20 an hour. A student tutor can be a good fit for homework help or a younger child who mostly needs patience and encouragement. They usually have less teaching experience, though, so they may not know how to rebuild a skill that never quite clicked.

Tutors on sites anyone can join

On sites like Superprof, anyone can create a tutor profile and pick their own price. In October 2026, the average math tutor on Superprof charged between $21 and $28 an hour, depending on the city, and prices started at $15. Superprof's own guide for new tutors says proof of credentials, diplomas or certifications is optional, so checking a tutor's background and experience is up to you. Families also buy a monthly Student Pass to message tutors, which means the hourly rate isn't the only cost.

Tutoring companies and learning centres

A tutoring company picks a tutor for you and handles the scheduling and billing. You pay more for that service:

• Tutorax: $45 an hour online and $55 an hour at your home for elementary and high school students.
• Tutorat Pro (Quebec): $42 an hour online and $48 at your home, according to its 2026-27 price list.
• Other companies: Indeed's guide puts tutoring companies at $50 to $90 an hour.
• Learning centres: places like Oxford Learning usually charge by the month. Its South Surrey centre lists $496 a month for two hours a week in groups of up to three students, plus a $250 enrolment fee. Comparing tutoring options side by side helps when one charges by the hour and another by the month.

Tutoring sites that screen their tutors

Some tutoring sites let you pick your own tutor but check every tutor before they can join. On TutorLyft, about 1 in 16 applicants is accepted, and most tutors charge $40 to $75 an hour, with $50 the most common rate in October 2026. Tutoring sites differ a lot in how they screen people, which is one reason private tutoring costs vary so widely.

Certified teachers

Teachers who tutor on the side usually charge the most. In Metro Vancouver, the non-profit Teachers' Tutoring Service lists $57 an hour for one student with a BC-certified teacher. Indeed's guide notes that certified teachers with years of experience can charge $100 or more an hour.

Tutoring rates by province and city

If your child is tutored online, where you live makes little difference. You can book a tutor anywhere in Canada, so the rates above apply wherever you are. Tutoring companies like Tutorax also charge one price across the country: $45 an hour online and $55 at your home.

Location matters more for in-person lessons, where the price depends on who's available near you. The table shows what in-person tutors on TutorLyft charge in Canada's biggest cities, along with one other local option in each.

Tutors who come to your home usually charge more than tutors who meet at a library or teach from their own space, since travel takes time. Where you live also decides which of the free programs below you can use.

Ontario

Ontario has the most in-person choice, with rates from $45 to $80 an hour in Toronto and the GTA and $40 to $100 in Ottawa. Before you pay anyone, two free programs are worth checking:

• TVO Learn Mathify: free one-to-one math tutoring with Ontario Certified Teachers for students in Grades 4 to 12 with an Ontario Education Number.
• Toronto Public Library: live online tutoring for Kindergarten to Grade 12 with a library card and PIN.

British Columbia

In Metro Vancouver, in-person tutors on TutorLyft charge $40 to $100 an hour. If you'd rather have a certified teacher, the non-profit Teachers' Tutoring Service charges $57 an hour for one student, or $67 for two students sharing a session.

Alberta

In Calgary, in-person tutors on TutorLyft charge $45 to $65 an hour. The Calgary Public Library also offers free live online tutoring for Kindergarten to Grade 12 on the Alberta curriculum, from 2 to 11 p.m. daily, with a library card.

Quebec

In Montreal, in-person tutors on TutorLyft charge $40 to $75 an hour. Quebec families also have two local options:

• Tutorat Pro: a Quebec tutoring company that charges $42 an hour online and $48 at your home, with no GST or QST added.
• Alloprof: free homework help by chat and phone for students from Grade 1 to Secondary 5.

Atlantic Canada

Three Atlantic provinces offer free help worth checking before you pay for a tutor:

• Nova Scotia: the Homework Hub offers free math tutoring with Nova Scotia math teachers for Grades 4 to 12, through the student's school login.
• Newfoundland and Labrador: the Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation runs free online tutoring for students with an NL Schools account.
• New Brunswick: Parents for Bilingual Education NB offers free French tutoring for Grades 1 to 12 in the anglophone school system.

Smaller cities, the Prairies and the North

Outside the biggest cities, in-person tutors can be hard to find, especially for high school sciences or French. Online lessons give you the most choice, at the same rates you'd pay anywhere else in Canada.

What changes tutoring rates

Besides the kind of tutor you hire, four things change the price most:

• Subject: specialized subjects and exam preparation usually cost more than general homework help. The Alliance Française, for example, charges $68 an hour for private French lessons in Vancouver and Victoria. The price of a French tutor per hour also depends on whether your child needs school French or preparation for a language exam. Math tutoring is the most widely offered subject, so there's more choice at every price.
• Experience and qualifications: a tutor with years of experience, a degree in the subject or a teaching certificate usually charges more than someone just starting out.
• Online or in person: lessons at your home usually cost a little more, since the tutor has to travel. Tutorax charges $10 more an hour for home visits, and Tutorat Pro charges $6 more.
• One student or a small group: sharing a tutor lowers the cost for each child. Teachers' Tutoring Service charges $57 for one student and $67 for two, which works out to $33.50 each. Group classes like Spirit of Math charge by the term, and your child shares the teacher with the whole class.

Why private tutors charge what they do

A $60 hour can feel steep next to a free homework app. The difference is that the hour you pay for isn't the only hour the tutor works.

• Planning time: a useful session is built around your child's last test, the next unit and last week's mistakes. That planning happens off the clock.
• Running a business: independent tutors pay for their own software, materials, travel and taxes, with no employer covering benefits or paid time off.
• Limited hours: most families want the same after-school slots, so a tutor's paid hours cluster into a few weekday evenings.
• Course knowledge: a tutor who knows Ontario's MHF4U or BC's Pre-Calculus 12 can aim straight at what's on the next test.

None of that makes a higher price automatically better. It does explain why an experienced tutor rarely charges what a student tutor does.

What tutoring costs per month

The hourly rate is only half the picture. Your monthly total depends on how often your child meets with a tutor. A student catching up before exams might meet twice a week for a few weeks, while a student who needs steady support might meet once a week all year. Many families start with a short block before a big test, then decide whether to keep going.

• Once a week at $60: $240 to $300 a month, depending on whether the month has four or five sessions.
• Twice a week at $60: $480 to $600 a month.
• Once a week at $60 for a 10-month school year: about $2,400 for 40 sessions.

Tip: younger children sometimes focus better in shorter sessions, and if a tutor offers 45-minute lessons, each one costs less than a full hour.

Tutoring, GST/HST and your taxes

Two tax questions come up often: whether tutoring has GST/HST added, and whether you can claim it on your return.

GST/HST on tutoring

Tutoring for school-age kids is usually exempt from GST/HST when it ties to their school courses. The CRA exempts tutoring in a course approved for credit by, or that follows a curriculum designated by a school authority. Tutoring for Ontario's Grade 9 math (MTH1W) or Grade 12 chemistry (SCH4U) is an example.

• Usually exempt: tutoring for elementary and high school courses that count for credit or follow the provincial curriculum.
• Not exempt: tutoring for college or university courses, and general study-skills sessions with no link to a school course.

The medical expense tax credit

Tutoring can count as a medical expense in one specific case. The CRA allows it for tutoring that's in addition to the regular schooling of a person with a learning disability or an impairment in mental functions, when a medical practitioner certifies in writing that it's needed. The payment also has to go to someone whose business is tutoring people they aren't related to. Keep your receipts and the practitioner's letter, since both matter when claiming tutoring on your taxes.

How to get good value from a tutor

The cheapest tutor isn't always the best deal, and neither is the most expensive. Value comes from fit: a tutor your child feels comfortable with, who knows the course and who makes progress easy to see.

• Talk before you pay: a short call tells you a lot about how someone explains things, and many tutors offer a free consultation before the first lesson.
• Ask about the course, not just the subject: "Have you taught Grade 11 functions in Ontario?" gets a more useful answer than "Do you tutor math?"
• Ask how they'll show progress: a quick quiz, shared notes or a short update after each session all work.
• Start with a few sessions: a short trial shows whether the fit is right.

A higher rate is worth it when it buys something you can notice. An experienced tutor will usually ask about the course outline and recent tests before the first lesson, explain their plan in plain words and tell you honestly when something isn't working. If a tutor charging $80 an hour can't describe what they'll focus on, the price isn't doing much for you.

There's no single right price for a tutor. A rate that feels high can be worth it if your child walks into the next test calmer, and a lower rate can work well for steady homework help. Give yourself time to try someone, see how your child responds and adjust from there.

If you'd like to compare real rates, you can browse tutors across Canada, with each tutor's hourly rate listed on their profile.