Diving Instructor Wages

[kjc1989ds]

Hello,

I am 15 and currently an Advanced Open Water Diver and my aim is to become a PADI diving instructor (gotta wait another 3 years tho...). I'm wondering if anyone has any infomation on the wages of a diving instructor.Thanks,

Kimball Chilcott

 

[Hank49]

Depends on where you want to work. I made about US$500 per month in the Philippines, which I could survive on but not send my kids to college, but Cancun Mark says you can make a lot more than that where he is.

 

[scubadoguk]

Hello,

I am 15 and currently an Advanced Open Water Diver and my aim is to become a PADI diving instructor (gotta wait another 3 years tho...). I'm wondering if anyone has any infomation on the wages of a diving instructor.Thanks,

Kimball Chilcott

Go to school become a doctor, engineer anything you can with a trade. then being a instructor can supplement a income not be your only income.
Believe me I know

 

[DiveTyme]

Kimball,
Don't give up on your dream. I would suggest becoming a dive intructor as a part time profession to start off with. To make a living as an instructor is very tough to say the least. Get your college degree, then you will have something to fall back on if instructoring does not work out.
Tim

 

[newtodive]

Kimball,

Go for it. I had that dream, but when I get older, fear has grown in my heart, so much responsiblity in life would push me away from I had dream about doing in your age.

You live once on earth, enjoy what a wonderful earth God has created for us to enjoy and to glorify Him.

 

[GeorgeC]

Your goal should be to get a college degree. If you excel at school you can simultaneously set a secondary goal of becoming an instructor.

Once you have your college degree you can do what you went to school for and instruct part time.

If you absolutely love instructing better than what you learned in college you can instruct with a goal of opening up a shop. With a degree you will have an edge on how to run and operate a business as compared to not having a degree.

If you love the water shoot for a degree in marine biology, oceanography or etc. However, there is nothing wrong an education in the medical, law, engineering or accounting field.

Bottom line! Get a Bachelors Degree and even try for a Masters Degree. This always looks better on a resume no matter what job you are looking at obtaining.

 

[DennisS]

Don't worry about the wages. If you have enough for room, board and a few beers you're doing good. Get the instructors training, move somewhere warm and have a ball for a few years. When that gets old decide what you want to do for a living.

 

[RIDIVER501]

Hey Kim,
I have to say the wages you can earn as a diving professional depend on a lot of things.

I have worked in 4 different areas of the US and my pay for services rendered were different in all of them.

You have to consider some things to determine what you can/might be paid:
1.) what will the market bear in your area? some areas can obviously charge more then others
2.) What is your overhead? ( the cost of doing business)
3.) what is the minimum class size you are willing to teach?
4.) are you going to work for a shop or be an independent?
5.) what is your seasonal availability? Ie do you have periods of time when you can't dive due to weather condiditons?
6.) how do you want to be/are you going to be compensated? Hourly wage or x$s per student.

hope this helps

 

[kjc1989ds]

thanks a lot everyone, sounds like good advice. i'l probably go for a degree first then, and get some diving expierence whilst at university. hopefully then i'l give instruction a go. thanks again,

Kimball

 

[emtdan]

What i would reccomend for you, Kimball, is just to focus on High school. I am thinking the exact thing, as i have been for a few years. I am also your age, but i just did Rescue.
I would focus on High school, make sure that your grades are good, and continue on to college, and continue diving on the side. Accululate as many dives as you can, get expierence, have fun. In three years, rethink the situation, are you still interested?, should it happen now?, will it get in the way of anything?, does it seem possible with where, you are, and what you are doing?

Take a look @ the situation as it changes, and just keep diving!