Online tutoring jobs in the Philippines are usually advertised as ESL: conversational English for adults or young learners abroad. There’s a second, less crowded market for Filipino teachers: subject tutoring for Cambridge IGCSE, IB and International A Level. Families in Singapore and the Gulf want specialists in maths, physics, chemistry, biology and exam English, and the Philippines has many strong subject teachers and STEM graduates. This guide covers what that market looks like, how it differs from ESL, how to apply to Tutopiya, and how hours and pay work.

Key takeaways

• Tutopiya hires subject specialists for IGCSE, IB and A Level exam preparation, not conversational English.
• Manila shares Singapore’s time zone, and Singapore is Tutopiya’s largest student market.
• Cambridge IGCSE Maths, Physics and Chemistry had the most trial requests in March to early June 2026.
• You set your starting rate and keep 100% of it. Payment is monthly via Wise.
• LET-licensed teachers and STEM graduates fit well once they learn the target board’s mark schemes.

Is there demand for subject tutors from the Philippines?

Yes, and it sits mostly in your own time zone. Between March and early June 2026, Tutopiya logged 798 trial-lesson requests. Singapore was the largest student location, and Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics (90), Physics (61) and Chemistry (47) were the most-requested subjects. Students in the Philippines also requested Cambridge IGCSE Physics frequently.

Physics specialists should start with Cambridge IGCSE Physics tutor jobs in the Philippines. English majors who’ve taught literature and writing at secondary level should see IGCSE English Language tutor jobs in the Philippines.

ESL tutoring vs IGCSE and IB subject tutoring

	Typical ESL platform	IGCSE / IB subject tutoring on Tutopiya
What you teach	Conversational English	Exam subjects: maths, sciences, English Language and Literature, economics
Students	Adults or young learners, often in East Asia	Secondary students in Singapore, the Gulf, Africa and beyond
Lesson length	Often 25 minutes	Full 1-on-1 lessons
Rate	Usually fixed by the platform	Set by you; commission added on top
What you need	Fluent English, often a TEFL certificate	Subject degree or teaching experience, plus board knowledge
Hours	Often early morning or late night	Your afternoon and evening (Singapore after school)

If you have a subject degree but have only taught ESL, list the subject. Be honest that your tutoring experience is in English, and show your own academic record.

Which subjects should Filipino tutors apply for?

Curriculum and subject	Trial requests (Mar–Jun 2026)	Country page
Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics	90	IGCSE Maths jobs in the Philippines
Cambridge IGCSE Physics	61	IGCSE Physics jobs in the Philippines
Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry	47	IGCSE Chemistry jobs in the Philippines
Cambridge IGCSE English Language	41	IGCSE English jobs in the Philippines
IB DP Mathematics	18	IB Maths jobs in the Philippines

From K-12 to Cambridge IGCSE: what to learn

The DepEd K-12 science and maths content overlaps with IGCSE. What’s new is the exam:

• Separate sciences. IGCSE students take Physics, Chemistry and Biology as separate subjects, often at Core or Extended tier.
• Command words. “State”, “explain”, “describe” and “suggest” each earn marks in specific ways.
• Published mark schemes. Cambridge publishes mark schemes and examiner reports. Learning them is the fastest way to tutor well.
• British conventions. British spelling and SI units are expected.

Start with the syllabus and specimen papers on Cambridge International’s IGCSE pages, then mark two past papers yourself.

How to get an online subject tutoring job from the Philippines

1. Choose one or two subjects that match your degree or your secondary teaching experience.
2. Prepare your documents: diploma, transcript of records, PRC/LET licence if you have one, and any proof of students’ results.
3. Set up properly: a laptop, a headset with a microphone, fibre internet, and a mobile-data backup for outages and typhoon season.
4. Create your Tutopiya profile. It takes about 15 minutes across 10 stages.
5. Choose a plan: Essential (SGD 10/month), Professional (SGD 20 for 3 months) or Professional Annual (SGD 90/year).
6. Get approved. Tutopiya aims to review profiles within 24 hours.
7. Open afternoon and evening slots, Singapore’s after-school hours, which are also yours.

For your first trials, read how to get students as a new online tutor.

What hours and pay look like from the Philippines

Hours. Manila (GMT+8) shares Singapore’s time. A Singapore student’s 4–9pm after-school window is your 4–9pm. Gulf students studying 4–9pm their time are 8pm–1am for you, so most Filipino tutors focus on Singapore and Malaysian students.

Pay. You set your hourly rate and keep all of it. Later rate changes are requested through Tutopiya, which approves them at its discretion. Tutopiya’s 40–50% commission is added on top and paid by the student. Payment is on the 15th of each month for the previous month’s lessons, by Wise transfer to a Philippine bank account. Trial lessons are unpaid. For income scenarios, read how much online tutors really earn.

How tutoring with Tutopiya works

Tutopiya provides 1-on-1 online tutoring for Cambridge IGCSE, Edexcel IGCSE, IB and International A Level students. Tutors in the Philippines create a profile, set a rate and add free slots. Tutopiya handles student matching and time zones, and runs 24/7 support for students and parents. Every plan includes Microsoft Teams, past papers, learning resources, AI tools and free teacher training. Read the details on the Tutopiya Become a Tutor page.

Common mistakes Filipino applicants make

• Applying as an ESL tutor. List the exam subject you’ll teach, such as “Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry”.
• Listing “General Science”. International students take Physics, Chemistry and Biology separately.
• Skipping the mark schemes. Parents pay for exam technique, not just explanations.
• Pricing like an ESL platform. Subject tutoring is specialist work. Set a rate that reflects that.
• Late-night-only slots. Your best slots are in the afternoon and evening, when Singapore students are free.

Talk to us

Browse every subject we’re hiring for on the Cambridge IGCSE tutor jobs hub. Tutors in Malaysia share your time zone, covered in our guide to online tutoring jobs in Malaysia. Questions? Contact the Tutopiya team.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tutopiya an ESL platform? +

No. Tutopiya tutors teach exam subjects for Cambridge and Edexcel IGCSE, IB and International A Level, such as maths, physics, chemistry, biology and English as an exam subject. If you've taught conversational English only, focus on the subject you hold a degree in or have taught at secondary level.

Can licensed Filipino teachers tutor IGCSE and IB online? +

Yes. Tutopiya accepts Philippines-based tutors with strong subject knowledge and excellent English. LET-licensed secondary teachers and science or engineering graduates are a good fit, provided they learn the syllabus and mark schemes of the board they want to teach.

How are tutors in the Philippines paid? +

You set your starting hourly rate and keep all of it, because Tutopiya's 40–50% commission is added on top and paid by the student. Payment is made on the 15th of each month for the previous month's lessons, by Wise transfer, which supports PHP.

What hours would I teach from the Philippines? +

Manila is on the same time as Singapore (GMT+8), Tutopiya's largest student market, so Singapore students' after-school lessons are in your own afternoon and evening. Gulf students book later, in your late evening.

Ready to Become a Tutor?

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