If you’re a teacher dreaming of life beyond the classroom, you’ve likely come across roles like private tutor or governess. But when it comes to choosing between them, the key question is: ‘private tutor vs governess — which one is right for you?’
Whether you’re looking for greater flexibility, a higher salary, or the chance to travel while working, both private tutoring and being a governess or governor can open doors to a more rewarding lifestyle. However, while they share some similarities, these roles are designed for very different personalities, skills, and goals.
In this post, I’ll break down the key differences, so by the time you reach the end, you’ll have a clear idea of which path aligns best with your strengths, lifestyle ambitions, and career vision.
If you’re ready to swap the staffroom for something far more exciting, let’s explore which role could be your perfect next step!
P.S. Not sure which path is right for you?
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Private Tutor vs Governess: What’s the Real Difference?
When exploring alternative careers for teachers, two popular options often come up, working as a private tutor or becoming a private governess. While both allow you to use your teaching skills outside the traditional classroom, they offer very different experiences, responsibilities, and earning potential.
What is a Private Tutor?
A private tutor focuses purely on delivering academic support. Tutors are typically hired to help children with specific subjects (secondary) or several subjects (primary) although the two can overlap. Many tutors will focus on exam preparation as well as boosting overall academic performance. This role is usually:
- Part-time or hourly-based, depending on the family’s needs.
- Short-term or goal-oriented (perhaps leading up to school entrance exams). Or for improving grades in specific subjects e.g maths or English.
- Based in the family home, purpose built tuition centres or increasingly delivered online.
While private tutoring can offer flexibility and the chance to work closely with students, it often comes with inconsistent hours and variable income. Many tutors juggle multiple clients to maintain a steady workload, and travel between homes (or switching online sessions) which can quickly eat into your time.
I know this first-hand. Before I became a governess, I worked as a primary maths tutor alongside my classroom teaching job. I loved the one-to-one teaching and seeing my pupils grow in confidence. But the reality was, I spent a lot of time driving between homes, and despite the effort, the income wasn’t consistent or particularly high. At the time, I didn’t realise there was another option, an opportunity to use those very same skills in a role that offered a stable, high-paying salary and far more career potential.
What is a Private Governess?
A private governess role is much broader than tutoring. While education is still at the core, a governess supports the child’s overall development, combining teaching with daily routines, social skills, manners, and emotional growth. Governesses often work with UHNW (Ultra-High-Net-Worth) families, providing:
- Full-time care — either live-in or live-out.
- Long-term stability for children, especially in families who travel frequently or have multiple residences.
- A holistic approach — blending academic learning with life skills, etiquette, and personal development.
- Opportunities to travel internationally, working in luxury homes, villas, yachts, or private estates.
Unlike tutoring, a governess position typically comes with a formal contract, offering a consistent salary, accommodation (in many cases), and additional perks like travel, bonuses, and meals. It’s a professional role that commands respect and significantly higher earnings compared to most private tutor jobs.
Looking back, I wish I’d known sooner that becoming a private governess was even an option. It was the perfect way to continue doing what I loved, teaching! Teaching with the flexibility, financial rewards, and lifestyle I never thought possible in education.
Key Differences Between a Private Tutor and a Governess: Lifestyle, Hours, and Responsibilities
When considering a shift from classroom teaching into private education roles, an understanding of how a private tutor and a governess role differ in day-to-day life, is crucial. While both careers offer a break from traditional classroom teaching environments, the lifestyle, the working hours, and the overall responsibilities, can be worlds apart.
Flexibility: Freedom vs. Stability
One of the main reasons teachers explore alternative careers outside of the classroom, is for greater flexibility. On the surface, working as a private tutor seems like the ideal flexible job. You often set your own schedule, choose your clients, and work the hours you want. For some tutors, after school or evenings suit well and with the ever growing use of online learning, this flexibility can really suit those with young families and childcare requirements. With the option to tutor overseas students online, it is possible to build up a business that allows parents to fit in the school run and tutor during their own child’s school day.
Flexible Hours vs. Reliable Income: Tutoring Compared to Governess Roles
But here’s the catch I experienced myself when tutoring. Whilst you can control your schedule, you can’t control when families need you, or when they cancel sessions. I remember carefully planning my week around tutoring appointments, only to have last-minute cancellations that meant no income for that slot. This could be worked around by firmly setting your terms and conditions, so that last minute cancellations are few and far between. The flexibility was nice in theory, but the lack of guaranteed hours made it difficult to rely on tutoring as a stable career. I also found that with private tutoring, workloads often peaked in the lead-up to exam season, but it was common to see client numbers drop off during quieter times of the year. This could making it difficult to maintain a steady, year-round income.
In contrast, a private governess works under a structured agreement with a single family. Yes, your schedule is shaped by the family’s needs, but in return, you gain a consistent salary, clear expectations, and long-term stability. Governess roles often include paid holidays, bonuses, and set working hours, offering the kind of work-life balance many teachers dream of.
Governess position offer set working hours on paper. But it’s important to remember that flexibility is part of the job, especially when working with busy VIP families. There will be times when your hours shift slightly to accommodate travel plans, special events, or last-minute changes, and occasionally you may find yourself working beyond your agreed schedule. However, this flexibility is usually balanced by generous benefits, time off in lieu, or additional pay, something rarely offered in traditional teaching or tutoring roles. It’s all about being adaptable while enjoying the stability and perks that come with a high-profile, professional position.
Travel Opportunities: Limited vs. Luxury
If you’ve ever dreamed of combining your career with seeing the world. The difference between working as a private tutor and a private governess couldn’t be clearer.
As a private tutor, travel opportunities are few and far between, unless you’re operating at the very top tier of the market, working with elite families on short-term contracts or flying in for intensive exam preparation. For most tutors, work is very much local. Either in the family home or online. Whilst that offers a certain level of convenience, it doesn’t exactly open the door to new horizons or exciting destinations.
When I was tutoring alongside my classroom job, I pretty much stayed within my local area. I drove from house to house for after-school sessions. The one-to-one teaching I enjoyed, but my “travel” was limited to familiar neighbourhoods. The occasional traffic jam was not exactly the adventure I craved! At the time, I had no idea that my teaching skills could take me far beyond my hometown, let alone across continents.
In contrast, for a private governess, travel isn’t just a perk — it’s often part of the job description. Many VIP families split their time between multiple homes across the globe or travel frequently for business and leisure. As a governess, you’re expected to provide continuity and stability for the children wherever they are. This means packing your bags and joining them on their journeys.
From Local Lessons to Global Luxury: How Governess Work Unlocks Elite Travel Experiences
I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my career. Travelling to Dubai, the French Riviera and the Swiss Alps. Teaching whilst sailing the Mediterranean on a private yacht. These aren’t holidays, they’re my workplace! From five-star hotels and private villas to luxury resorts with world-class service. These experiences have become part of my everyday professional life. I feel incredibly lucky to have had these experiences.
And it’s not just about the travel itself. Working with high-profile families often means access to experiences most people could only dream of. Enjoying private jets, business class flights and staying in iconic hotels. Dining in Michelin-starred restaurants, or having front-row seats at exclusive events. I’ve accompanied children to theatre productions. Enjoyed private gallery viewings and VIP sporting events. Watched dazzling shows and always with the best seats in the house.
I sometimes think back to my days as a classroom teacher and part-time tutor. I could never have imagined that my teaching skills would one day take me to such incredible places. Back then, the idea of luxury travel felt completely out of reach. To pay for such luxury travel and events, I’d have had to save up for months if not years. These kind of travel and luxury experiences are part of my career now. You can read in my previous blog post ‘Inside The World of Private Governess Luxury Travel’ about my most recent trip to Dubai and adventures we had there.
Of course, as a governess or governor, you’re there to work, and professionalism always comes first. But there’s no denying, the joy of swapping a crowded staffroom for a sun-soaked terrace. Or trading in your daily commute for a chauffeured car to a private villa. Both feel like a significant upgrade!
Are you someone who loves adventure? Love to experience new cultures? Like the idea of seeing the world while earning a high, consistent salary? Then becoming a governess or governor offers a lifestyle that, in my opinion, tutoring simply can’t match.
Private Tutor vs Governess – Ready to Choose Your Next Step?
Your next career move could be the one that finally gives you the freedom and lifestyle you’ve been looking for! Whether you’re drawn to the flexibility of tutoring or the luxury lifestyle of a governess, this post on private tutor vs governess shows how your teaching skills can open new doors.
I hope that reading this has sparked ideas about what’s possible with your teaching skills. If so, why not take the first step towards a more flexible, rewarding career?
I’ve created a FREE Teacher to Governess Mini Guide. It will help you discover how to transition from classroom teaching or tutoring into high-paying private governess roles. You will learn how stability, adventure, and work-life balance are part of the package.
Are you curious about how to get started? What skills you need? Or where to find these incredible opportunities? If so, then my guide will walk you through the essentials.
