What private tutors, centres and online platforms typically charge across Australia, what RHZ charges, and how to judge whether an hourly rate is good value.
| Provider type | Typical hourly rate (1:1) | How it is usually billed | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| University student tutor (private) | $40 – $60 | Per session, cash or transfer | Experience with the curriculum, WWCC, reliability |
| Qualified teacher tutoring privately | $60 – $90 | Per session or per term | Availability, whether marking is included |
| Large tutoring centre or franchise | $50 – $100+ | Term or package in advance, often an enrolment fee | Group size, refund policy, who actually teaches |
| Online marketplace | $40 – $90 | Per session through the platform | Platform commission, tutor vetting |
| RHZ Tutoring (small group) | From $25 | Monthly, no lock-in, no enrolment fee | Free Skills Check first |
| RHZ Tutoring (1:1, centre or online) | $35 – $45 | Monthly, no lock-in, no enrolment fee | Rate by year level; VCE at the top |
All figures are typical ranges observed in the Australian market, not quotes, and vary by city, subject and year level. Sydney and Melbourne sit at the top of each range; regional areas and online sessions often sit lower. Use the tutoring cost calculator to turn an hourly rate into a term and year figure.
Year level and subject. VCE, HSC and other Year 12 subjects cost the most, followed by senior science and maths; primary tutoring costs the least. Specialist subjects with few qualified tutors (Specialist Mathematics, Physics, languages) command a premium.
Who is teaching. A registered teacher with years of classroom experience will charge more than a second-year university student. Neither is automatically better for a given child: the student tutor may be closer to the material and more patient, the teacher more likely to spot a deep misconception. The question is whether the person diagnoses before teaching and whether the material is aligned to the curriculum.
Format. One-to-one costs more per hour than a small group because the tutor's hour is not shared. Small groups (three to five students at a similar level) deliver most of the benefit for many students at a fraction of the price, provided the group really is small and really is matched by level.
Overheads. Centres carry rent, marketing and administration, and it shows in the price. Franchises add a licence fee. A private tutor working from home has none of those costs but also none of the structure: no curriculum-aligned banks, no substitute if they are ill, no progress reporting system.
Billing model. Term packages paid up front lower the provider's risk and raise yours. Monthly billing with no lock-in, which is how RHZ works, means you stop paying the month the goal is met.
Small-group sessions of three to five students are from $25 an hour. One-to-one sessions are $35 an hour for Prep to Year 6, $40 for Years 7 to 10 and $45 for Years 11 and 12. Online sessions, delivered Australia-wide over a shared whiteboard, cost the same as sessions at our Truganina centre. Plans are monthly; you choose one, two or more sessions a week; there is no enrolment fee, no assessment fee and no lock-in. Before any paid session there is a free online Skills Check and a free phone consultation, so the first session is planned from evidence rather than a guess. Year 11 students enrolling for 2027 through the VCE 2027 Head Start get the first session free and 2026 rates locked for 2027.
Tutoring is a poor use of money when the child is on track and the parent is anxious, when the problem is homework routine rather than understanding, or when the student is not willing to do work between sessions. In those cases a free Skills Check will often show that nothing is wrong, or that a fortnight of twenty-minute practice sessions at home will do. We say this at the consultation when it is true, because a family who was told "no" honestly comes back when the answer is "yes".
For a primary or middle-years student who is a little behind: one small-group session a week for one or two terms, about $250 to $500 in total at RHZ rates. For a VCE student targeting a specific study score: one 1:1 session a week through Terms 3 and 4, about $900, or two a week in the final term. For a student who is more than a year behind: 1:1 weekly for two terms then a group to maintain, about $1,200 to $1,500. Compare those figures with the same schedule at typical market rates on the calculator.
Private tutors commonly charge $40 to $90 an hour and large centres $50 to $100 or more, as typical ranges rather than quotes. RHZ small groups are from $25 an hour and 1:1 is $35 to $45 an hour.
Not reliably. Price tracks overheads and qualifications more than results. Judge by whether the tutor diagnoses first, aligns to the curriculum, sets work between sessions and reports progress.
Typically at the top of each range: $60 to $100+ an hour privately or at a centre. RHZ VCE small groups are from $25 an hour and 1:1 is $45 an hour.
For most students who are broadly on track, yes: it delivers structured practice and feedback at a fraction of the 1:1 price. 1:1 is worth paying for when the gap is specific and urgent.
No. The Skills Check and consultation are free, there is no enrolment fee, and plans are monthly with no lock-in.
Fifteen minutes online, every topic for the year level, same-day report and a tutor call to talk it through.
Thousands of free, instantly marked questions, Prep to Year 12, by year level and topic, including NAPLAN and VCE maths.
Small groups from $25 an hour, 1:1 $35 to $45, at our Truganina centre or online Australia-wide.
Call 03 9509 3293, book a free consultation, or browse printable practice papers. RHZ Tutoring, 17/47 Apex Drive, Truganina VIC 3029.