Tutors Salary
In Columbia, MO, tutors earn $31,730 at the median, or about $15.26 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $57K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.44), which stretches that salary to about $35,476 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,160/month, about 53.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $32K get you in Columbia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbia’s Regional Price Parity (89.44). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About tutors
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What this looks like in Columbia
Pay for tutors in Columbia runs about 27% below the U.S. median of $43K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,160/month, which is 51.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.44 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for tutorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tutors in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $36K | $38K |
| Kansas City | $38K | $41K |
| Springfield | $40K | $46K |
| Jefferson City | $29K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbia, MO
Entry-level tutors (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $32K. Top earners bring in $57K or more, a $28K spread from bottom to top.
Tutors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tutors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $82K | +90% | 200 |
| Rhode Island | $78K | +80% | 300 |
| Massachusetts | $61K | +40% | 4,610 |
| Vermont | $54K | +24% | 130 |
| New Hampshire | $54K | +24% | 700 |
| Maryland | $53K | +22% | 4,300 |
| Connecticut | $50K | +16% | 3,230 |
| Tennessee | $50K | +16% | 3,310 |
| Maine | $50K | +15% | 340 |
| Mississippi | $50K | +14% | 1,220 |
| Oregon | $48K | +11% | 1,130 |
| Colorado | $47K | +9% | 2,500 |
| Georgia | $47K | +9% | 5,690 |
| New York | $47K | +9% | 12,730 |
| North Dakota | $46K | +7% | 110 |
| Alaska | $46K | +6% | 550 |
| Washington | $45K | +5% | 2,460 |
| California | $45K | +4% | 45,370 |
| Minnesota | $45K | +3% | 1,370 |
| West Virginia | $44K | +2% | 280 |
| Ohio | $44K | +1% | 5,760 |
| North Carolina | $42K | -2% | 5,780 |
| New Jersey | $42K | -2% | 5,270 |
| Montana | $41K | -5% | 450 |
| Wisconsin | $41K | -5% | 1,530 |
| Virginia | $41K | -6% | 4,090 |
| Arizona | $39K | -10% | 2,730 |
| South Dakota | $39K | -11% | 250 |
| Nebraska | $38K | -11% | 950 |
| Indiana | $38K | -12% | 1,770 |
| Illinois | $37K | -14% | 5,910 |
| Michigan | $37K | -14% | 6,010 |
| Florida | $37K | -14% | 12,220 |
| Iowa | $37K | -15% | 610 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -15% | 460 |
| Hawaii | $37K | -16% | 1,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $36K | -16% | 4,540 |
| Alabama | $36K | -18% | 890 |
| Utah | $35K | -19% | 3,150 |
| Idaho | $35K | -19% | 760 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -20% | 1,220 |
| Kentucky | $34K | -21% | 780 |
| Kansas | $34K | -21% | 1,290 |
| Louisiana | $34K | -22% | 540 |
| Texas | $34K | -22% | 10,690 |
| Delaware | $33K | -23% | 590 |
| South Carolina | $33K | -23% | 1,510 |
| Missouri | $32K | -26% | 1,670 |
| Arkansas | $31K | -29% | 720 |
| Nevada | $30K | -30% | 1,070 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tutors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbia numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a tutor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $32K, rent takes 51.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,160/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tutors in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tutors typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,716/month. At HUD’s $1,160/month FMR, rent would take 68% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is tutor a high-paying job in Columbia?
Local pay runs 27% below the national median — $32K here vs. $43K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for tutors?
Columbia pays $32K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s -27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — below the national median.
How much do tutors make in Columbia, MO?
The median is $31,730 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,600, and experienced tutors can clear $56,540. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $32K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,235/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,160/month, which eats 51.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a tutors salary go in Columbia?
Columbia has a Regional Price Parity of 89.44 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tutors salary is worth about $35,476 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tutors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.