Question Tech Instructor Perspective: teaching in USA or in Mexico?

[Underwater Tourist]

Yeah I figured my question basically comes down to full relocation from the US including selling all of your US assets (or putting them on your wifes name or something)

 

[rjack321]

Yeah I figured my question basically comes down to full relocation from the US including selling all of your US assets (or putting them on your wifes name or something)

Most MX instructors I know have US banks accounts and assets - and just deal with the tax liabilities cause having "all" your savings and retirement in MX is perhaps not especially wise.

 

[berndo]

@rjack321 my tech experience is only limited to cave diving, and I always thought that $300/day was too cheap given how much is taught during the course and how long training days are (start at 9am, end 5-6pm). That price even covered cenote entrance fees during my courses.

I do hope that training fees stabilize at a higher level and tech instructors can get paid what they deserve.

So what should they be making? I think you're nuts. If they do 2 person classes and teach 15 days per month on average and take a whole month off. That's a 100 grand turnover per year. For being a dive instructor living in Mexico.
The so called tec classes have already gotten pretty pricey for what they are.
I don't think 9 to 5 or 6 is a long day. It's a normal work day and on the short side for many OW instructors.

 

[kensuf]

So what should they be making? I think you're nuts. If they do 2 person classes and teach 15 days per month on average and take a whole month off. That's a 100 grand turnover per year. For being a dive instructor living in Mexico.
The so called tec classes have already gotten pretty pricey for what they are.
I don't think 9 to 5 or 6 is a long day. It's a normal work day and on the short side for many OW instructors.

Gosh, tech instructors can make $100k a year while living the dream and having a cush easy work schedule. That's amazing.

 

[Jcp2]

So what should they be making? I think you're nuts. If they do 2 person classes and teach 15 days per month on average and take a whole month off. That's a 100 grand turnover per year. For being a dive instructor living in Mexico.
The so called tec classes have already gotten pretty pricey for what they are.
I don't think 9 to 5 or 6 is a long day. It's a normal work day and on the short side for many OW instructors.

There’s a difference between what is charged to the student and what the instructor gets to take home after business costs.

 

[berndo]

There’s a difference between what is charged to the student and what the instructor gets to take home after business costs.

That's why I said 'turnover'.

Gosh, tech instructors can make $100k a year while living the dream and having a cush easy work schedule. That's amazing.

C'mon, it's a job but it's still scuba diving dude, there a many people that do more hours at much harder jobs for way less money. Let's keep it real. Nobody that doesn't really wants to be an instructor is working as an instructor. With 600 bucks as daily rate most people would be able to scrape by in Mexico.
If you're teaching less than 10 or 15 days per month it's pretty much a hobby job.

I wonder what you think they should be making.

 

[kierentec]

The ma

Gosh, tech instructors can make $100k a year while living the dream and having a cush easy work schedule. That's amazing.

that part of the math checks out…but the investment, time and financial, involved for an instructor to get to that point is pretty extensive. Like, a decade + and hundreds of thousands of dollars if you factor in training, travel, equipment, and time off to do con ed each year, exploration…. Its a lot. And the week or 2 “off” each month isn’t really off, as that’s time to hustle to keep the calendar full. So the “Cush easy work schedule” unfortunately isn’t accurate. I’ve gotten to a point where I’ve got my schedule booked 8-10 months in advance, and manage to take a min of 3 months off each year to travel, take classes for myself, and project diving, which is all exhausting and expensive, so that $100k disappears pretty quick.

 

[kensuf]

Jon, I know you know I was tongue in cheek.

As Jon mentioned, those "free" days are frequently spent hustling, answering emails, creating content for blog posts, etc. Not just "off".

What Jon's not mentioning is those "work" days really do involve some extensive work, it's not the 9-5 "easy life". An instructor that's never properly prepared won't last long in this industry, the time spent prepping for the next day / post-day tear down adds up quickly. I typically find that my teaching day is quite regularly 12 to 13 hours long with that added bit.

 

[berndo]

I was just reacting to the post saying: 'I do hope that training fees stabilize at a higher level and tech instructors can get paid what they deserve.'
I think that's ridiculous considering the daily rates are pretty good already. Last class I paid 250 Euro per day plus expenses. I think that's fair and is pretty decent rate for what it is.

Like, a decade + and hundreds of thousands of dollars if you factor in training, travel, equipment, and time off to do con ed each year, exploration…. Its a lot.

How much for actual instructor training and how much because you were doing it for fun and bought stuff you wanted? If I were to take cave instructor training, that wouldn't cost me anywhere near hundreds of thousands of dollars, right?
I've seen instructors count every expense including their OWD training and dive trips they did as investment into their instructor carreer.

As Jon mentioned, those "free" days are frequently spent hustling, answering emails, creating content for blog posts, etc. Not just "off".

What Jon's not mentioning is those "work" days really do involve some extensive work, it's not the 9-5 "easy life". An instructor that's never properly prepared won't last long in this industry, the time spent prepping for the next day / post-day tear down adds up quickly. I typically find that my teaching day is quite regularly 12 to 13 hours long with that added bit.

When I said 15 days per month that leaves 5 days to market yourself, answer email, fb, etc. and do all the other crap you have to do. That's a normal full time job... other people in other jobs do that too and other people also have expenses.
What you think an instructor should be making since you seem be bothered by what I said?

 

[kensuf]

When I said 15 days per month that leaves 5 days to market yourself, answer email, fb, etc. and do all the other crap you have to do. That's a normal full time job... other people in other jobs do that too and other people also have expenses.
What you think an instructor should be making since you seem be bothered by what I said?

I think $300-400 per day/student, 2 students minimum is reasonable depending on the course. Some courses cost more to run, ex. CCR, and should have a slightly higher cost.

My responses to you were based on your statement that you felt that was nuts and implying that instructors have a pretty easy work schedule.

So what should they be making? I think you're nuts. If they do 2 person classes and teach 15 days per month on average and take a whole month off. That's a 100 grand turnover per year. For being a dive instructor living in Mexico.
The so called tec classes have already gotten pretty pricey for what they are.
I don't think 9 to 5 or 6 is a long day. It's a normal work day and on the short side for many OW instructors.