A glorified pyramid scheme - Tutor Varsity Tutors Employee Review

1.0
Apr 28, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The platform for finding jobs is easy to use.

Cons

The people that work the hardest at Varsity, bringing in a majority of the company's money, get paid poorly and are not well taken care of. Varsity charges $55-$85/hour for my services from what I can tell ( I've had to do detective work since they won't tell me), yet only pay me $15-20/hour. I'm highly qualified (master's degree, teaching license, years of experience, advanced training, etc.), which that have no qualms advertising, but they don't treat me that way. For an average hour lesson, I put in about 2-2.5 hours of work (I have to lesson plan, commute, teach, then log everything). Take my $20 hourly pay, divide that by the hours I actually work, and I'm barely making minimum wage for most lessons I teach. I was promised a raise at 6-months because of my experience--that was two months ago and I've yet to see it. When I try to contact someone, I'm sent to a generic voice mailbox (I don't even have a phone number for my direct supervisor). All the people on to of my that benefit from my hard work do nothing to help me--I never get my calls returned, when I have a request, it usually takes weeks to resolve, etc. Plus their contracts that they make to sign essentially make it where you can't use any of the connections you've made for two years (for instance, if a client of Varsity's likes me and recommends me to a friend, that friend HAS to hire me through Varsity). Overall, Varsity profits off the hard work of people that they take terrible care of.

Explore other reviews about Varsity Tutors

5.0
May 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great company, opportunities, ease of use

Cons

Seasonal job, some slow seasons, some fast seasond

3.0
Jun 15, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The teaching platform is excellent and user-friendly. The virtual classroom includes useful features such as an interactive whiteboard, which makes online teaching effective and engaging. Experienced instructors also have considerable freedom to design their own lessons and adapt materials to students' needs, allowing for high-quality instruction. Payment is processed twice a week, and instructors can easily track their earnings through the platform, which provides transparency and convenience.

Cons

Student cancellations can be challenging, especially when they occur only minutes before class. Some sessions are repeatedly rescheduled and later canceled again, making it difficult to predict income. Policies and procedures may change frequently, requiring instructors to adapt regularly to new guidelines. Work availability can fluctuate significantly. Instructors may have many students during one period and very few later on, particularly when students complete exams or finish their school year. Overall, this can be a good opportunity for supplemental income and flexible teaching experience, but it may not be ideal as a sole or highly predictable source of income.

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