Should I increase my piano lesson price?

[pianist21]

I know a similar topic was being recently being discussed on the board, but I was curious about my situation. I have been teaching for 5 years, and while I was working on my bachelor's degree, I was charging $15 per 30 minute lesson. I just graduated in May with my piano performance degree and have been contemplating increasing my price a bit. I am now working on my Masters in piano pedagogy and was thinking of charging $20 per 30 minute lesson. Do you think this would be an appropriate price? I live in a relatively wealthy area. Thank you so much!

[klavieronin]

I don't think you are charging nearly enough. If there is a music teacher's association or something where you live I would ask them what they recommend. For example, the Music Teachers' Association
of New South Wales (where I live) recommends $90 per hour for individual lessons and $120 for group lessons.

[timothy42b]

In my area teachers charge between $25 and $50 per half hour, depending on reputation and results. 

At your level you are still at the low end of this BUT you should not go below $25 per half hour or your students will not think you are a professional and they will not respect your advice. 

[adodd81802]

My area which is reasonably average is approx £25-35 per hour, with prices and time between 30-60 minutes and prices varying. I'd definitely say $25 per half hour is reasonable with some discount towards more time

[whistlestop]

If you have gained an additional qualification then it seems an opportune time to reconsider your prices. It doesn't look such a big hike to me, although I'm not sure what kind of $s you mean -US or otherwise.
I have a Masters in instrumental tuition and doubt it would cut much ice where I live, and am still trying to build up a client base so need to keep fees on the accessible side (£13 per 30 mins if a block of 5 is booked;£15 per 30 mins pay-as-you-go).
If I found I had a full timetable I'd certainly think about increasing it by a £ or 2 per hr every 2-3 years.
Other professions would do it...

[quantum]

Take a survey of your area, and see what people of similar qualifications are charging.  It will give you an idea of what the local market supports. 

[timothy42b]

Take a survey of your area, and see what people of similar qualifications are charging.  It will give you an idea of what the local market supports. 

That's a good idea, but I'm not sure how you'd do it.  It is not as simple as driving around looking at the signs for gas prices. 

Interestingly, the AGO (American Guild of Organists) lost a court case this year about setting standard rates a professional organist could expect to get for performances like a church service, wedding, funeral, choir rehearsal, etc.  The court ruled this was illegal price fixing, and forced them to take the rates off their web site. 

[quantum]

That's a good idea, but I'm not sure how you'd do it.  It is not as simple as driving around looking at the signs for gas prices.  

If one is in the business of teaching music, one has to put the word out that such a service is available.   Imagine you are the student looking for a teacher, where would you look?  

For starters you could look up your local Registered Music Teacher Association, and ask for a list of teachers.  

Interestingly, the AGO (American Guild of Organists) lost a court case this year about setting standard rates a professional organist could expect to get for performances like a church service, wedding, funeral, choir rehearsal, etc.  The court ruled this was illegal price fixing, and forced them to take the rates off their web site.  

Thankfully the Royal Canadian College of Organists still has their recommended salary table.  Lets hope it stays.  Would still be useful reference to our American friends, as the RCCO and AGO recognize each others diplomas.  

[bee1234]

my suggestion is if you increase your price, you will lost piano student, because this day parents take music lesson for fun, not a must only some parents take music lesson as high school credit, usually piano teacher that can charge a very high price should be very famous and musician , that they finish music university from a very famous school and their student are very success win lots of piano competition and some after they complete all the requirement from the piano teacher they can get refer from piano teacher for enough marks to refer to their favorite famous university for music degree with music scholarship, every thing is getting so expensive, and piano lesson is not a must, if you increase the price parents will feel its too expensive, when there are so many teacher in your area they can choose maybe their experience and education is higher than you, but same price, than they will think of why i must take lesson from you when they have so many choice, so i dont agree with increse your price unless you are very famous and expert that parents are so willing to pay think you deserve this price for your music degree education!!!!!!!

[bee1234]

Hi
I must totally agree with you , when there is lot of choice , i have heard some piano student they cant afford for high piano lesson rate  they would rather join the group for  piano lesson that play in a electronic keyboard that is good for big group lesson my advice is i have heard piano student in my area at canada they have  charge 15 canada dollar for 45 piano lesson with beautiful hand writing adveristing, trust me or not if you increase your price you will end up to lost lots of student, even famous piano teacher that are qualification is not easy to get student, well good lucky and wish you all the best!!!!!!
bach

[bernadette60614]

I have been taking lessons off and on for about 7 years, and it has only been in the last two months that I've found an incredible teacher.  She has 30 years of teaching experience, sits on juries, has an impressive list of former teachers, and an impressive array of teachers from whom she has taken lessons.

She charges $52.00 for 45 minutes.

I've actually paid more for teachers with fewer credentials.

Rambling towards my point, I think the teachers can charge 1) what the market will bear 2) what consumers who may not understand the credentialing process are willing to pay.

You can do a touch of sleuthing:  Do a google search for piano teachers in your zip code, check out their websites/credentials, give a call and ask for their rates...you can always say that you are asking for a friend.

Then, charge the rate above the highest rate the least qualified ones are charging. That way, if someone questions your rate, you can tell them that you have x, y, z credentials as opposed to the lesser credentials of the majority of teachers.

[mike71]

If you have gained an additional qualification then it seems an opportune time to reconsider your prices. It doesn't look such a big hike to me, although I'm not sure what kind of $s you mean -US or otherwise.

Agree. You could, as a marketing trick, make some grandfathering to current students, like making them pay the full rate, but giving them some free lessons or the like.

[virtuoso80]

Good rule of thumb is that if you don't occasionally hear that you're too expensive for 1 or 2 people, you're not charging enough. Also, realize the psychology with these things: People see a higher price, they often assume you're just better. It's like the prostitute who started charging more and all of a sudden got a much higher quality of clientele who wanted to take her to dinner and tip her. She didn't become better at what she does, she just upped her price and people assumed she was more 'high end'.

I live in a fairly pricey area, but I literally wouldn't travel to anyone for less than $45. It's not worth it to me. I charge $50 for 45min and $60 for an hour. I still have some legacy people who I go to for less, but I found getting new students didn't get any harder raising rates (Also, I do SAT and ACT tutoring for $120/hour, so that's spoiled me a bit...if I only knew this 5 years ago. I mean, classical piano is way harder than those silly tests to me, but that's the going rate and I suppose I can't complain).