If you love the idea of tutoring young people, six weeks of vacation, and an annual salary of more than a quarter million dollars, there’s a new job that might be perfect for you. Instead of working as a computer programmer or financial analyst, you can make the same kind of money while living in a fully furnished home—by tutoring a young woman with academic anxiety.
A family in New Jersey posted an advertisement with Tutors International looking for an experienced, witty, and innovative tutor for their daughter, a ninth-grader. The job offers $264,000 per year, 45 days of vacation, use of a car for academic adventures, and a fully furnished private New Jersey home to stay in. The right candidate will spend 40 hours a week helping “ameliorate her anxieties surrounding academic work,” helping her catch up in subjects including math, science, and Spanish. The job posting notes the high school student has a very high IQ, but her extreme empathy and sensitivity has made traditional schooling difficult. The family hopes an enthusiastic, patient, and engaged tutor will catch her up in required studies while moving the needle on her uneasiness.
“The student will best be served by a Tutor who understands the importance of consistent academic progress, and who has the kindness and patience to explain concepts fully in a way that she can understand,” the listing reads.
The job asks that the private tutor take the student out on local and international excursions to fortify her education, leaning on the family farm for enrichment in “biology, chemistry, mathematics, and related subjects.” But beyond serving up the daily curriculum, ideal candidates should also serve as an example for the young pupil.
“Beyond the academic tutoring, the Tutor should be personable, unpretentious, and fun, and an excellent role model for this young woman,” the posting said. “The student must be made to feel at ease, valued, and supported by her Tutor, while likewise being inspired to work hard and succeed in understanding.”
See if you qualify for the $264,000 private tutoring job
Parents are willing to shell out for their children to succeed, even if that means spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for a private tutor. But this isn’t just an American phenomenon—the website even has a London gig up for grabs, paying $240,000 to get their toddler in shape for top schools.
“Everything else about it is so remarkably normal for us,” Adam Caller, CEO of Tutors International, recently told Fortune, speaking of the British listing. “It might not be normal for other people reading it, but for us as a company, it’s such a common kind of request.”
Parents want to ensure they’re getting the best talent possible to justify their big spending—especially since the role could last several years. And few will qualify for the New Jersey family’s tutoring job, as the listing details some substantial requirements.
Here are the academic standards and personal qualities necessary to land the role:
- Expertise in the American curriculum: No candidates taught outside the American educational system will be considered for the role. The family is looking for an “innovative” teacher who can help their daughter return to in-person schooling by the end of the year, so helping her “reach at least appropriate grade level” is most important.
- Have a relaxed and flexible teaching style: The posting notes the ninth-grader’s least favorite teachers were “downright mean,” so the ideal candidate would be “easygoing and not overly strict, someone who is happy to be an educator.”
- Be persistent with progress: While it’s important to make the student comfortable in her studies, the family specifies candidates should understand the “importance of consistent academic progress.” They should also stay organized and consistent.
- Have a flexible mindset: The student will pursue an asynchronous online schedule, so the right candidate will build upon that education and create “bespoke” materials to accompany the studies. Ideal tutors will also integrate her extracurricular interests—such as golfing, boxing, and cosmetology—into her academic agenda.
- Respect political and social beliefs: The parents do not mind what political affiliation the tutor has, but ask that their own beliefs be respected. The listing notes that in the past, the family has encountered teachers who had “social agendas that they inappropriately include into unrelated teaching of their subjects.”
- Get comfortable with sarcasm: The pupil’s family describes their speaking style as “English and sarcasm,” and seeks a tutor with a “good sense of humor.”
