A quick quiz for language tutors: how many hours a week do you actually spend teaching vs. preparing lesson plans, answering messages, rescheduling, fixing tech issues, etc.?
Do you have enough time for yourself to recharge your batteries? We bet you don't. Do you want to spend more time with your family or friends? We bet you do.
If you've ever analyzed your working time, you might have noticed that around 50% of it is devoured by routine administrative tasks — and the worst part is, you don't get paid for that time. You get paid for the contact hours you spend with your students!
Based on a national survey in 2023 of typical K–12 teachers (Merrimack College Teacher Survey) — while tutors are not exactly the same as K–12 teachers, many daily tasks are quite similar — here's how the time breaks down:
If you're self-employed, you should also account for payments and refunds handling, which can take another hour weekly.
Not to mention the significant workload for tutors who run blogs or create content on social media — another 6–12 hours (or even more) every week!
These figures highlight why tutors often feel stretched thin — effectively doing at least 3 jobs in one, balancing teaching with clerical work, and finance management. For every contact hour, there's at least one extra hour of hidden work, often two — meaning a tutor charges for one hour but works two or three.
Other research echoes this reality. A late 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 84% of teachers said there's not enough time during the workday to complete essential tasks like grading, lesson planning, paperwork, and emails (Pew Research Center).
Similarly, a U.S. survey found that administrative tasks were the leading cause of teacher stress (49% of respondents), even above classroom management issues (K12 Dive).
If you don't trust the surveys, we asked some fellow tutors about their workloads. Here's what they said:
"I'm a native Hebrew speaker, but I still prepare for my classes. I teach 17 to 20 hours a week and spend around 8 hours on admin tasks, lesson prep, and checking homeworks. I can't really say how much time I spend communicating with students—it's just impossible to calculate. I also run an Instagram account, which takes up about 6 hours a day. Sounds crazy, I know, but I create a lot of content and ads—it's part of my income."
Anastasia, Hebrew tutor, 10+ years of experience, self-employed, Israel
"I teach two languages — French and English. I give group classes, one-to-one lessons, and run speaking and reading clubs. I spend about 8–9 hours a week on lesson prep, with 20–22 contact hours weekly. I also spend around 5 hours communicating with students, including managing payments, and another 4–5 hours on social media."
Sophie, English and French tutor with 10+ years of experience, self-employed, Armenia based.
"I have 16 contact hours a week, and I spend about 5.5 hours on lesson prep. Over the years, I've built a solid base with material for classes. I also run a speaking club once a week, preparing which can take up to 4 hours for a single 1-hour class. It's hard to say exactly how much time I spend communicating with students, but thanks to Google Calendar and a payment app, I no longer have to track payments or attendance manually!"
Kate, Spanish tutor, 7+ years of experience, self-employed, Russia
As we can see, there're at least 7-10 hours a week that could be liberated for tutors if admin tasks would be automated. This is exactly what we are working at at Linqua - building a platform that will liberate up to 40% of an average language tutor's time.
Being overloaded with admin work, of course, impacts not only your own satisfaction as a tutor, but also your students' experience.
Job satisfaction among tutors has been plummeting under these pressures. In fact, only about 12% of U.S. teachers now say they are very satisfied with their jobs — an all-time low (Learning Forward).
In other words, administrative overload isn't just a tutor problem — it ultimately affects students, too.
Research shows that teacher well-being is closely linked to student outcomes: stressed, overburdened teachers are less effective, while teachers with time to build strong relationships see better student engagement and achievement (Education International).
Today's tutors face intense workload pressures, often dedicating as much or more time to administrative and preparatory work as they do to teaching. This imbalance can lead to stress, burnout, and ultimately weaker student outcomes.
However, the future for tutors isn't so bleak!
The good news is that technology is emerging as a powerful ally to help tutors work smarter, not harder.
AI, working alongside other tools, can tackle many of the time-consuming busywork tasks that weigh tutors down.
By embracing these technologies, tutors can streamline their workflows and reclaim valuable hours for teaching, innovating, and self-care.
Analysis suggests that current technology could allow tutors to reallocate around 20–30% of their work time from administrative or preparatory tasks to more direct student-focused activities (World Economic Forum).
Lesson Planning and Content Creation:
Generative AI tools can significantly cut down the time tutors spend creating lesson materials. Instead of starting from scratch on worksheets, example problems, or activity ideas, tutors can prompt AI to generate a first draft in seconds.
Homework Preparation, Grading, Assessment, and Feedback:
AI assistants can help automate grading and feedback tasks, communicating with students and saving valuable tutor time.
Scheduling, Attendance, Communications, and Payments:
AI tools can manage many admin tasks, from calendar coordination to sending reminders and processing payments.
Looks promising, right?
Of course implementing AI doesn't mean giving up full control.
You can still focus on the parts of the job you enjoy — whether it's lesson creativity, building personal student relationships, or simply having more downtime to recharge (which is critical for sustainable well-being).
For tutors and edtech professionals alike, the message is clear: smart use of technology lightens the load.
By automating paperwork and "busywork," we allow tutors to do what they do best: teach, inspire, and help students succeed.
In an era where tutor burnout is a real concern, these efficiency gains aren't just about productivity — they're about making tutoring more sustainable and impactful in the long run.