Brighterly: Math & English Tutoring Site Pays Poorly

If you want to tutor kids in math or English, Brighterly is looking for you. The online tutoring platform is “mass hiring.” The catch? The pay is ridiculously low.

What is Brighterly?

Brighterly is an online platform that offers 1-on-1 tutoring in just two subjects — Math and English.

How it works

For tutors, the requirements to work here vary based on the age of students you hope to teach. If you’re tutoring grammar school, the site requires a strong internet connection, subject matter proficiency, 6 months of tutoring experience and social skills.

If you’re planning to tutor high school kids, you’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree in addition to those requirements.

In either event, you’ll need to submit an application and go through an online interview process. Those who make it through the interview process will also schedule a mock class, where you are provided a lesson plan and are supposed to teach it to a Brighterly recruiter.

If you get through all of that, you’ll start tutoring at an “introductory” rate of $3 per 45-minute class. The site wants tutors who will be available to work at least 20 hours a week.

Brighterly review

Brighterly is one of several tutoring platforms that strike us as having very little value for tutors. And the value for students is even worth questioning.

For tutors the problem is pay: Tutors earn between $3 and $6 per 45-minute class. This is far below minimum wage in the U.S.

So, what happens? The site enlists tutors from other countries, mainly the Philippines, where this rate of pay isn’t considered dismal. (Indeed, minimum wage in the Philippines works out to less than $11 per day.) But, as a parent, do you really want your child’s English tutor to be someone who speaks English as a second language?

To be sure, linguistic nuance isn’t as much of an issue for math tutors.

But, in a world where online tutoring platforms are ubiquitous, it’s impossible for us to imagine that truly talented math tutors would want to work for these sorry rates. After all, there are dozens of online tutoring platforms that pay 4 – 5 times as much.

Better than nothing

That said, what Brighterly does offer for students is affordability. The site’s cheapest tutoring package works out to paying less than $18 per hour, which is one of the cheapest online tutoring options anywhere. And, while we can argue that you may find more talented tutors at a site that pays them better, you may not be able to afford their rates. If your option is no tutor or a cheap one, a cheap one is probably better.

But the same argument can’t be used for tutors, who are poorly paid here no matter how you slice it.

How tutors get work

Students who want to book tutoring through the platform sign up for a tutoring package that lasts for 3 months, 6 months or one year. The most affordable package is the one-year option, which provides at least twice-weekly tutoring at $17.70 per lesson. If you go for the three-month package, you’ll pay $21.40 per lesson.

Generally, students are assigned a tutor and are only able to switch tutors once a month. So, from the perspective of a tutor, you know that if you are assigned a student, you are likely to have at least eight lessons worth of work. However, that pays the tutor just $28 ($3 a lesson) to $48 ($6 a lesson) for the month.

Lessons are generally booked from 5 am – 9 am Philippine Time, which makes them between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. (Pacific) and 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. (Eastern) time.

Notably, the hours are set based on Philippine Time because that’s where the bulk of Brighterly’s tutors are from.

Commissions and fees

The site doesn’t officially impose commissions or fees on tutor pay. But the site makes at least twice as much as it pays tutors.

Pay

Brighterly pays tutors on a regular schedule — either monthly or bi-weekly — generally through direct deposit or other electronic means available to international tutors.

Curriculum

The site provides math curriculum for all Grade 1 – 8 instructors, but tutors are supposed to modify it to help students achieve their own goals or fill in their own learning gaps. The company also provides “scripts” for English tutors.

But you can apparently earn bonuses for developing your own curriculum or teaching tools. (The bonuses, however, are in the $4 range, so there’s no getting rich here.)

The same holds true for high school classes. Tutors are expected to modify the site’s lessons to accommodate the student’s needs.

Student monitoring

Tutors who work with this site also say that they’re expected to monitor their students’ progress and submit regular reports. So, the $4 you get for each class requires more than just the 45-minute lesson. You’ll likely spend the rest of the hour preparing written reports.

Recommendations

Brighterly does most of its recruiting in the Philippines, where minimum wage works out to less than $11 per day, according to HR Business Solutions. Within that framework, Brighterly’s pay looks fairly generous. After all, you could earn the daily minimum wage with 3 or 4 hours of work. And if that sounds great to you, you can sign up to tutor for Brighterly here.

However, in the U.S., that pay scale seems ludicrous. And if you’re a talented tutor, you have much better options.

Our top pick among the tutoring sites is Wyzant, an international tutoring platform that allows tutors to set their own rates. You may also want to consider Varsity Tutors and TutorOcean.

What their tutors say (from Indeed)

Horrible pay and fake promises. Don’t even think about applying here unless you wanna waste your time and effort for horrible pay.

The company offers flexible scheduling, which I really appreciate since you can choose your availability. However, pay is strictly based on teaching hours. So if class assignments are limited, your income can be inconsistent. There are weeks when you might only teach two to three hours, with sessions paying around $4 each.

This company is a great option for part-time employees because it offers a flexible schedule, allowing you to set your own availability. The work itself is manageable, but the administrative tasks—particularly the reports that need to be completed—can sometimes feel overwhelming and time-consuming.

Typical day involves….

Develop a comprehensive lesson plan, meticulously review the provided lesson materials, and prepare advanced homework assignments for students. If the curriculum provided is insufficient, create supplementary materials to enhance the learning experience. Ensure that all materials are presented in a professional and organized manner. Construct props for the backdrop to enhance the visual appeal of the lesson. Continuously seek out new guides and updates to stay abreast of the latest developments in the field. Remain vigilant in identifying new students who request to be assigned to a schedule. While seeking assistance from colleagues can be beneficial, it is possible to experience frustration if your situation is not fully comprehended. Additionally, progress reports are required every four lessons, and parents must be contacted during the fifth session. Furthermore, tutors are responsible for evaluating students’ performance meticulously after each lesson. Failure to meet these expectations may result in disciplinary action.