How Much Does a Homeschool Teacher Cost?

Last Updated on December 27, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

With all the problems it caused, the global pandemic we just went through also opened up some opportunities for some people, that you might not have thought of before, and one of these is homeschooling.

Of course, this idea was something already considered and talked about for quite some time, but due to the closure of schools all across Australia, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and even Europe, as well as orders like the shelter-at-place order, most legal guardians and parents have started to consider this as an option for educating their children.

Very obvious right from its name, the practice of homeschooling refers to educating your children at home, or better said, the passage of knowledge in the comfort of your home.

This meaning has slowly turned from the necessity of learning inside the home from caregivers or parents, to something more on the lines of parents and guardians having absolute control over how their children receive the information they learn. This means everything from where to how and even when.

Homeschooling allows for better flexibility, allowing you to change and adapt the study schedule or curriculum to the strict needs of your child, unlike traditional learning which has a study schedule or curriculum created beforehand for the whole year.

Homeschooling is often called an individualized style of non-public education. It has a lot of benefits, one of the biggest of them being that it is made to target the needs of each learner. No wonder it is commonly referred to as an individualized style of non-public education.

A lot of opinions have been made public over the years about homeschooling and the way in which it will impact each learner, and some of them are flagrant misconceptions. These misconceptions can push guardians and parents away from giving it a try. Among the most popular misconceptions are these two, which we will debunk from the start:

1. Homeschooling makes your child weird — The entertainment world is mostly to blame for this misconception. This is because most movies and sitcoms show children that go through homeschooling as unsocialized, weird, and very unlikely to interact with other people of their age. But this is hardly ever the case. The usual homeschooled kid will also have to take part in extracurricular activities, often with children of their age. And of course, even though they are homeschoolers, these children still have a lot of friends to have conversations and socialize with, and some of them even go to a public or private school.
2. It is illegal — Although a lot of people keep saying that homeschooling is illegal, this is very far from reality. It’s a known fact that in the US, homeschooling is legal in every state, having just various regulatory frameworks in place depending on each state government to ensure that learners get the right type of information. Before homeschooling can be attempted, according to a lot of states, you will have to follow some very stringent requirements. But if you do, you will have flexible regulations that make the transition from public or private schools to homeschooling very easy.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Homeschool Teacher?

There are quite a few agencies that act as intermediaries between parents or guardians and homeschool teachers, as there are quite a few people that consider this path due to their displacement caused by the global pandemic.

With all these agencies coming to the help of teachers, it is easier than ever for someone to find homeschool teachers for their children, anywhere around the US. Homeschool teachers are usually paid by the hour, with their costs depending on their versatility, skill, and experience. The average homeschool teacher costs $28 to $50 per hour. Nevertheless, some of the best teachers and tutors, that are liked and wanted for their services by most parents, can easily charge $90 or more per hour to homeschool a child.

Average Salary of a Homeschool Teacher

The average homeschool teacher’s salary in the US is somewhere around $30 per hour or about $58,530 per year. This is because while the most well-versed, skilled, and experienced teachers are known to make around $83,000 per annum, entry-level positions when it comes to homeschooling teachers will have prices that can start at even $22,000 per year.

You might also like our articles about the cost of Montessori Academy, La Petite Academy, or Harkness tables.

How Many Hours Should Your Kids Be Homeschooled Annually?

This is one of the biggest questions that most parents or guardians have regarding homeschooling and what it involves. Although you shouldn’t compare traditional or even typical school settings to homeschooling activity, most states require a minimum of 180 days in school annually for children.

But why shouldn’t you compare the two? Well, because students will spend about 7 hours per day in school in a traditional schooling system, but a lot of these hours won’t involve classroom learning.

Going over your specific situation, the things you want your child to learn, and a few other factors, you might decide that your kid won’t need more than 3 to 4 hours of homeschooling on a daily basis, for example. Their daily tasks should also include extracurricular activities so you’re sure their other skills also develop.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Homeschooling

There are also some additional costs you should consider when you decide to have children homeschooled, mostly related to things they might need for the learning process to go as smoothly as possible. And while there are state public schools that offer these items for free, you might need to purchase them when homeschooling a child. The most important items are:

1. Tools and programs for extracurricular activities — One way for you as a parent or guardian to help build the communications skills of your children is by signing them up for all kinds of extracurricular programs and activities while homeschooling them. Most of these programs and activities will have signup or monthly fees. Aside from the fees they come with, they might also require some important materials or tools so that your kid can participate fully. All of these will increase their costs.
2. School supplies and equipment — Back-to-School shopping is one of the most expensive times in the US, aside from the popular Christmas shopping and the Black Friday shopping spree. It isn’t uncommon for the average parent to spend roughly $1,200 to have their kids go back to school prepared. Most of this amount will go towards an internet connection and a new laptop, although you, as a parent, can still end up spending $500 to $800 per child when getting just school supplies for homeschooled children.
3. Curriculum — Curriculum is on the list of the biggest expenses you face when homeschooling your children. This has been made obvious by the HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association), which said that the average parent is likely to spend between $350 and $600 per child annually on things like books, games, programs, and curriculum as a whole. There are still several ways in which you as a parent or guardian can save money when it comes to these costs.

Final Words

Although it is a good idea for some kids, homeschooling is still a rather expensive choice, especially when you consider hiring a professional teacher or tutor. Of course, the prices we laid down in this article will depend on several factors including educational qualification, experience, and expertise of the teacher as well as your location.