Earning Money on Chegg | Is it Still Worth It in the AI Era?
What is Chegg?
Chegg is an edtech company that primarily provides educational content to students. It offers services like renting textbooks, homework support, and study help.
While Chegg’s subscription cost is around $15 per month, which seems affordable compared to traditional tutoring rates in the U.S. (where tutors charge $15 to $50 per hour), there’s more to the story.
How Does Chegg Work?
Chegg operates by hiring final-year students or graduates from countries like India to assist students with their homework.
The primary service provided is homework help, and though some may view it as ethically questionable, this is how the platform functions.
The way it works is simple; students from the U.S. or other countries upload pictures of their homework questions.
Tutors in India select questions they can solve, and then work on answering them. These answers are evaluated either by AI or human evaluators, and based on the quality, tutors are paid.
Although tutors are paid per question, the pay varies. A tutor might earn between Rs. 80 to Rs. 180 (around $1 to $2) per question, though some might earn up to Rs. 300 per question.
On average, tutors can earn anywhere from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 ($120 to $250) per month if they optimize their work schedule.
How Much Can You Earn on Chegg?
Tutors generally spend 1 to 1.5 hours solving a question, depending on its complexity. However, many tutors use tricks to maximize their earnings by timing their submissions and selecting questions that are easier or faster to answer.
This job is seasonal, with demand dropping during student vacation periods (like summer and winter breaks).
The Challenges :-( Recent Changes to the Chegg Platform
Chegg has recently made some changes that have negatively impacted tutors. They no longer accept handwritten answers and instead require step-by-step solutions.
This new policy means that even a moderately difficult question could take up to two hours to solve.
Additionally, the validation process is stricter, and tutors now face a more challenging review system.
For students who are also in college, managing both their studies and this part-time job can be tough, especially since answering questions now takes more time and effort.
Impact of AI on Chegg Tutors
The recent rise of AI tools has raised questions about the future of Chegg. While AI is certainly capable of solving homework problems, it is still far from perfect.
Many AI models struggle with complex math problems and can produce inaccurate or incomplete answers.
AI-generated responses can also be easily flagged for plagiarism since they match content available on the internet, leading students to prefer unique answers.
Some tutors may still find work by offering original solutions that AI cannot replicate.
Should You Work on Chegg?
Even though AI is making its way into the homework help market, it’s not perfect. The best AI models are often behind paywalls, and free models are still not reliable for complicated or chained questions.
Therefore, tutors who offer unique, high-quality answers still have a place in Chegg.
If the AI trend fizzles out (which seems unlikely, but remains a hope), there might be more opportunities for Chegg tutors.
If you’re someone who is working on the platform, share your experiences! How many questions do you solve per day, and how many hours do you dedicate to this work?
