SidelineLegitimate side income, reviewed weekly

SidelineWork for yourself

Teach one subject

Tutor from your own kitchen table

Teach a subject you know to one student at a time, online or in a library. No marketplace required. One regular student on a weeknight is already a side income.

A notebook, a pen, and an envelope of cash on a table

Checked 22 September 2026. Figures are ranges, not offers.

Where
In your own town — London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Cardiff, Dublin, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, Melbourne, New York, Chicago, and smaller places. You do not need a platform. Online lessons work from anywhere you can be quiet.
Hours
A lesson is usually an hour, plus a little preparation. Two evenings a week is a sane start. Do not offer every night until you know you want to.
Pay
Often £20–45 or $25–60 an hour, depending on subject, age, and city
To start
A notebook, a quiet corner, and a way to be paid. A video call is enough for online lessons. You do not need a website.

Why it is listed

You are paid for teaching, by the person in the room. There is no commission and no kit. It is the independent version of the tutoring sites also on this list.

What you can realistically expect

The first student is usually someone who already knows your name. A full timetable of strangers takes months, if you want one. Exam season is busier than August.

Who pays you

The parent or adult student pays you by bank transfer or card, ideally before the lesson or on a simple monthly rhythm. Do not take a cheque for more than the bill.

How to start

  1. Pick one subject and one level. “Year 11 chemistry” is a service. “Homework help” is not.
  2. Write three sentences: who it is for, what an hour covers, what it costs.
  3. Tell ten people who actually know you, and put a plain notice where parents look, with permission.
  4. Do the first lesson somewhere public, or online, and agree the next one before you hang up.

Finding the first customers

  • A colleague, a neighbour, or a parent at the same school, asked directly.
  • A short post in a neighbourhood group that states the subject, the price, and that you have space for two students — not “DM me for details”.
  • A library or community noticeboard, if they allow it. No paid ads until someone has said yes.

What to charge

Ask what local tutors charge, then subtract nothing for being new except a small introductory hour if you want the first review. Say the number first. “Whatever you think is fair” invites a lowball and a awkward silence.

Tax and paperwork

Keep a note of every payment and every cost from the first job. In the UK this is usually self-employment; tell HMRC when your income reaches the point they set. In the US it is often self-employment tax, sometimes with quarterly estimates. Other countries have their own registration. This is not tax advice — an hour with an accountant beats any course. If you teach children in person, families may ask for a background check. Use the official national scheme, not a website that advertised under your search.

Read this before you start

  • People who sell “student leads” are selling a spreadsheet. You can find the first student yourself.
  • Do not meet a minor in a private home you do not know. Libraries exist.
  • A parent who wants you to invoice a company you have never heard of, for more than the lesson, is the overpayment scam.

Sideline will not ask you for money. Anyone who messages you claiming we will is not us. Write to [email protected] if something on this page looks wrong.

This one is independent. There is no platform to join and no official signup link.

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