How Teacher Pay Is Calculated

The exact rules MusicDesk uses to turn lessons and attendance into a teacher's estimated pay.

Last updated: July 5, 2026

1. 1

   Only billable lessons are paid

   Pay is based on billable lessons only — those marked Present, Late, or Absent (billable). Excused, non-billable absences, canceled, and unrecorded lessons don't earn pay.

2. 2

   Pay is based on lesson length

   Each lesson pays for its scheduled duration: rate × (minutes ÷ 60). A 30-minute lesson earns half the hourly figure; a 60-minute lesson earns the full amount.

3. 3

   The rate comes from the event type

   Which rate applies depends on the lesson's event type:
   • Standard — the teacher's own hourly rate.
   • Percentage — the teacher's hourly rate × the percentage (e.g. 50% of 30.00 = 15.00/hr).
   • Flat — the event type's fixed hourly amount, regardless of the teacher's own rate.
   An event type set to 0% or 0.00 flat is unpaid.

4. 4

   When pay shows "n/a"

   Standard and percentage lessons need an Hourly Pay Rate on the teacher. Without one, those lessons can't be priced and estimated pay shows n/a. Flat-rate lessons are the exception — they price themselves even with no hourly rate set.

5. 5

   Substitutes earn the pay

   If a teacher taught a lesson as a substitute, that lesson counts toward the substitute — not the teacher who was originally scheduled.

6. 6

   The estimated total

   Your estimated pay for a period is simply the sum of every billable lesson's pay across the date range you ran.