Tutors Salary
In Modesto, CA, tutors earn $50,650 at the median, or about $24.35 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.11), that's roughly $48,650 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,758/month, about 53.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Modesto?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Modesto’s Regional Price Parity (104.11). 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 Modesto
Modesto sits well above the national pay line for tutors, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $43K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,758/month, which is 50.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 104.11) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tutors in metros near Modesto, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $45K | $40K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $48K | $42K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $42K | $40K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $47K | $42K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Modesto, CA
Entry-level tutors (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $27K 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 Modesto numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tutor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Modesto?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 50.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,758/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tutors in Modesto?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tutors typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,095/month. At HUD’s $1,758/month FMR, rent would take 84% 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 Modesto?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $51K here vs. $43K nationally.
How does Modesto compare to the national average for tutors?
Modesto pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.11), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tutors make in Modesto, CA?
The median is $50,650 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,910, and experienced tutors can clear $62,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Modesto?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,451/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,758/month, which eats 50.9% 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 Modesto?
Modesto has a Regional Price Parity of 104.11 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tutors salary is worth about $48,650 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.