Skydiving instructor salary: Hourly wage for Skydiving Instructors

Become a Skydiving Instructor – Licensing, Teacher Pay, Job Resources

Can you imagine jumping out of a perfectly good airplane? People do it every day. It’s called skydiving. For some it’s absolutely terrifying to consider jumping out of a plane, but for others it’s a fun and exhilarating experience. You can’t go skydiving without some training from a skydive instructor.

Skydiving instructors teach people the basics of skydiving. They take willing adults miles in the air and let them dive out of an airplane. Surprisingly it’s quite safe.

It is also very addicting. Once you dive, you’ll most likely want to go again and again. It’s as close as a human can get to flying. As a skydiving instructor you can afford this expensively addicting sport because you have students.

When you start skydiving you will attend a skydiving school where you will learn about equipment, drop zones, airplanes, freefalls, canopy flights, and landings. This is all covered over several hours in ground school. It’s best to find one approved by the United States Parachute Association.

After ground school you will load the plane and fly to an elevation about 2 to 3 miles about the ground. There you will jump out of the plane and put your new knowledge to work. As you dive out of the plane you will focus on proper body position. Then you will freefall for about a minute at about 120 miles per hour, or terminal velocity. Eventually you’ll open your parachute and enjoy 100-mile views as you float back to Earth.

A parachuting expert needs to skydive regularly and pay close attention to details and safety. You’ll also need to earn skydiving licenses, which will ultimately let you become an instructor. Your student jumps, courses, and gear are your skydiving tuition. It can be expensive, but it’s worth it. To become an instructor you need to be a member of the United States Parachute Association and log at least 500 jumps and 3 hours of freefall.

There are several levels of skydiving professionals – coach, instructor, examiner, pro, and judge. Each certification tests your knowledge, skill, and experience. Be sure to log your dives. Always record jump number, date, location, exit altitude, length of freefall, type of jump, distance from landing, equipment, and buddy.  There are also challenging oral, written, and practical exams.

Skydiving is a weekend, weather dependent sport, which is nice because it allows you to start your skydiving career part time. On any given day, you can do up to 10 or so jumps. Being a skydiving instructor is a pretty great gig about 10 months a year. During the winter it is too cold. For year round work, look in places like sunny California. Check for work at your local drop zone or online skydiving websites.

Instructors often work sunup to sundown teaching, packing parachutes, and skydiving. Wages will depend on where you work and how many dives you do. Some drop zones pay by the hour, but most pay by the jump. Many instructors do about 1000 dives per year at about $25 to $35 per dive. They can supplement that income by earning a riggers ticket to pack parachutes and make about $10 to $15 for each parachute they pack. At the end of the year, full time skydiving instructors will make between $20,000 and $40,000.

Skydiving instructors quite possibly have one of the most adrenaline pumping instructor jobs out there. They manage to take complete novices miles into the air, jump out of airplanes, and make it to the ground safely. If you think you might be ready for a job like that, go skydiving this weekend to see if it’s the career for you.

Quick Facts About Teaching Skydiving

Job Title: Skydiving Instructor
Office: In the air or at the drop zone
Description: Teach people how to sky dive
Certifications/Education: USPA Instructor Rating
Necessary Skills: Knowledge of skydiving and parachutes
Potential Employers: Drop Zones
Pay: Can be salaried, hourly, or by jump – averages $30,000 per year

Helpful Skydiving Instructor Employment Links:

Search Sky Diving Instructor and Other Instructor Jobs on JobMonkey
United States Parachute Association
Skydiving Magazine
Skydive University
DropZone. com

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How Much Do Skydiving Instructors Make? (Average Salary Per Student)

Skydiving instructors are known to educate people concerning the safety procedures and equipment used while skydiving. These experts teach students about concepts and maneuvers like drop zones, freefalls, and canopy flights. They also cover important information concerning airplanes and landings.

Also, note that skydiving instructors may teach individuals or groups of people. Skydiving instructors often jump in tandem with their students, but they may also prepare students for their own jumps. Skydiving instructors are also expected to meet all licensing requirements and meet a required number of jumps and hours of freefall.

Table of Content

• How Much Do Skydiving Instructors Make Per Student?
  • Earn a Skydiving License
  • Learn The Ropes
  • Pursue Instructional Ratings
  • Attend USPA Tandem Training Course

How Much Do Skydiving Instructors Make Per Student?

In the United States, skydiving instructor jobs tend to be seasonal or part-time. And while instructors can be hired as salaried employees, they are more or less paid for each class they supervise. According to reports, an instructor can be paid on a per-student, per class rate of about $20 – $30, although this figure tends to also vary depending on the instructor’s credentials and expertise, as well as other factors.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that self-enrichment education teachers, such as skydiving instructors, could expect a much faster than average job growth from 2018 to 2028, a 12 percent rate. The average salary will also be largely dependent on the reputation of the skydiving company and the location, which can help determine how many people are interested in trying skydiving.

Most skydiving instructors tend to venture into this field with a license and basic education, proving that they are well-versed and experienced in executing safe jumps, easy landings, and other job duties. However, just like was expressed above, the salary can be unpredictable; an increasing job growth rate highlights a very popular career for most people interested in teaching skydiving.

Skydiving is a job in which safety is paramount, especially since it is considered a high-speed activity in which you risk injury and death. If you have a history of epilepsy, obesity, heart problems or other conditions, you may not be able to work as a skydiver.

Howbeit, to stay on top of safety details, you will need to skydive regularly, consistently, and expertly perform all procedures, and maintain good judgment. Skydivers who are trained well, who stay current with safety precautions, and take a conservative approach to the job have very few accidents or injuries.

There are many perks to the job – flying in airplanes all day, daydreaming with your head in the clouds, and of course, freefall. Being a skydiving instructor means getting paid to be a certified commando. Here are the steps to take to achieve this very inspiring feat.

1. Earn a Skydiving License

In the United States, there are no formal licensure requirements to become a skydiving instructor. However, it might be nice to acquire one or more instructional ratings through the United States Parachute Association (USPA). Before pursuing these ratings, you are expected to earn your voluntary skydiving licensure, which first requires membership in the USPA.

There are four classes of skydiving licenses, which are awarded based on a skydiver’s proficiency. But to get a license, you are expected to submit a log of your jumps that includes the jump number, date, location, exit altitude, and length of time in free fall, as well as the distance you landed from your target, equipment you used and a signature verifying the jump. In addition, logs need to show what kind of jump it was, such as flying, canopy formation, or style jump.

2. Learn The Ropes

The two basic requirements to become a professional skydiving tandem instructor are 500 skydives and 3 years in the sport of skydiving. So when you first start skydiving it may seem like an impossible number to hit 500 jumps. However, once you get your license to skydive it becomes very easy to make several hundred jumps a season.

In the United States, lift tickets for licensed skydivers are only $27 which makes it much more affordable to skydive several times a day. Aside from requiring 500 skydives to become a Tandem Instructor, note that you need to have been in the sport for 3 years.

This requirement is to help skydivers learn all there is to know about the industry before they are allowed to start taking passengers on their first tandem skydives. There is so much to learn about the sport of skydiving that it takes several years of being around the sport to learn the fundamentals

3. Pursue Instructional Ratings

In the United States, to earn an instructional rating as a skydiving instructor, you are expected to pass an exam administered by the USPA, have an advanced skydiving license, display mastery of skydiving techniques, and demonstrate teaching proficiency. Note there are three types of instructor positions you could hold, including a coach, instructor, and instructor examiner.

As an instructor, you will mainly teach jump courses in one or more of the following areas: harness holding, assisted deployment, static line, or tandem jumping. You also might oversee coaches, who could instruct students in certain jump and free fall skills while under your supervision.

The instructor examiner is the apex of the USPA instructional rating program. As such, you would represent the USPA regarding specific drop zones. This typically includes offering advice to skydivers and providing administrative services.

4. Attend USPA Tandem Training Course

At this point, you’ve completed your training: USPA D License, 500 Skydives, 3 years in the sport, and USPA Coach Rating. Now it is time to hit the books and attend your final training course. In the United States, tandem instructors are required to take a course through the USPA. This course is designed to teach the instructors how to take passengers on their first tandem skydives and to learn how to operate the parachute system.

Conclusion

Have it in mind that Skydiving tends to be seasonal work, based largely on weather conditions. You jump out of planes, focusing on the proper body positioning. After jumping, you will free-fall for about 60 seconds, traveling at close to 120 miles per hour. Once you open your parachute, you will enjoy 100 – mile views as you float to Earth. As a skydiving instructor, you will train people in harness holding, assisted deployment, static line, and tandem jumping.

Note that most of your work will take place Earth-bound, more or less requiring you to oversee coaches or serve as an examiner of the instructional rating program of the United States Parachute Association (USPA). Also note that you will spend a lot of time checking and rechecking your gear and that of your fellow divers, making sure all parachutes will function properly every single time they are activated.

16 skydiving industry jobs (with salary and responsibilities) • BUOM

November 25, 2021

Professionals who love extreme sports and unique group experiences often consider a career in skydiving. There are positions for skydiving for professionals with different levels of training and experience. Information about available vacancies can help you find a skydiver position that suits your skills and interests. In this article, we list 16 occupations in the skydiving industry including their average salary and general responsibilities.

Here is a list of 16 jobs you could take up if you want to get a job in skydiving. For the most up-to-date salary information on Indeed, please click on the links below:

1. Skydiving Instructor

National Average Salary: $28,637 per year

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Key Responsibilities: The Skydiving Instructor is responsible for escorting skydivers before the start of the flight. They help put on equipment for guests, explain how to jump correctly, guide guests on safety measures, operate the wind tunnel and ensure that all technologies work properly. Instructors can work in accelerated free fall (AFF), in which they teach guests to skydive solo or tandem jump as they dive with the guest.

2. Ground Control Worker

Average National Wage: $33,109 per year

Key Responsibilities: Ground Control Workers assist in managing the ground operations of the Parachute Facility. Their duties may include directing parachute traffic, coordinating a landing pattern, communicating with teammates about weather conditions, and enforcing facility rules. In the event of an injury, the ground controller will usually locate a medic or nurse and can help gather all the necessary medical supplies.

3. Photographer

National average salary: $39,869 per year

Key Responsibilities: Photographers are responsible for photographing guests during a skydive. They usually jump from the plane with the guests and take pictures of them in the air. The duties of the skydiving photographer may also include image editing, adjusting camera settings, and coordinating the jump to capture the experience from multiple angles.

4. Receptionist

National median salary: $41,882 per year

Key Responsibilities: The receptionist is the administrative worker who runs the front desk at the skydiving center. Skydiving administrators can perform tasks such as answering phones, answering customer emails, providing supplies, scheduling visits, and coordinating events. They can coordinate with drop zone professionals such as instructors and ground staff to offer guests an organized and enjoyable experience.

5. Safety and Training Consultant

Average National Salary: $46,276 per year

Key Responsibilities: Safety and Training Consultants are highly trained professionals who oversee safety and licensing in approved drop zones. Their duties typically include approving licensed tests, training instructors and other skydiving professionals, reporting non-compliance issues, and investigating safety breaches. The Safety and Training Consultant can also advise on unique jumps, such as situations where a facility is testing a new aircraft or guests are asked to jump at night to take safety precautions to accommodate special conditions.

6. Packer

National average salary: $48,242 per year

Primary Responsibilities: Packers are responsible for preparing equipment for guests during the jump. They often set up the parachute by placing the canopy inside the container and usually coordinate with the installers to check the gear and resolve any safety issues. These professionals aim to pack quickly and neatly to ensure jumpers perform efficiently.

7. Rigger

National average salary: $48,671 per year

Key Responsibilities: Fitters are responsible for building and repairing skydiving equipment. Their duties usually include re-laying canopies, patching torn parachutes, and adjusting seat belts. Together with the packers, they prepare and test parachutes, making sure each parachute meets safety requirements to prevent injury.

8. Loading organizer

National average salary: $49,119 per year

Key Responsibilities: A load organizer is a professional skydiver who plans group jumps. Their duties typically include assessing guests’ skills and experience levels, briefing guests, and explaining in advance what to expect while jumping with guests. They can interact with guests who prefer to jump with others to organize a group, or help cheer up anxious guests.

9. Event Coordinator

Average National Salary: $50,212 per year

Key Responsibilities: Event coordinators are responsible for promoting and planning events in the drop zones. These professionals typically perform a combination of sales and administrative tasks. Their responsibilities may include communicating with local businesses about drop zone group event opportunities, collaborating with vendors for large events, and organizing event packages including items such as flights, videos, souvenirs, and food.

10. Aircraft Maintenance Technician

Average National Salary: $51,850 per year

Key Job Responsibilities: Aircraft maintenance technicians are aviation professionals who are responsible for ensuring the correct operation of aircraft. Their duties may include performing diagnostic tests, replacing faulty parts, repairing electrical and mechanical systems, and performing regular inspections. They usually also keep detailed records of problems and resolutions with the aircraft they test.

11. Operations Coordinator

Average National Salary: $65,499 per year

Key Responsibilities: Operations Coordinators, whose positions are working in the skydiving industry, are responsible for arranging guest visits and handling administrative tasks. They may perform tasks such as processing payments, assisting guests with signing waivers and other documents, assisting with bookings, and relaying information to other employees to ensure consistent plans among drop zone staff. These professionals can also help with the sales process by connecting with local organizations and businesses to promote event bookings.

12. Maintenance Worker

National Average Wage: $70,579 per year

Key Responsibilities: The maintenance worker is responsible for the cleanliness, suitability, and safety of skydiving equipment. Their duties typically include mowing the grass in the drop zone, clearing the drop zone of obstructions, disinfecting the toilets, and taking out the trash. They can also control indoor heating and cooling and help with simple mechanical repairs.

13. Pilot

National average salary: $72,217 per year

Key Responsibilities: A pilot flies an airplane while skydiving. They prepare planes for takeoff, fly and land aircraft, adjust methods for unique air and weather conditions, communicate with ground control personnel and passengers, and protect passenger equipment before the jump. As a rule, they are responsible for operating flights several times per shift, as they operate a flight for each group of guests.

14. Videographer

National average salary: $79,327 per year

Key Responsibilities: Videographers are creative professionals who film skydiving events for guests. They usually jump from a plane along with solo and tandem jumpers and record their reactions and later edit the footage for guests to keep. Skydiving videographers can also film skydiving events and create promotional content for events and facilities.

15. Skydiver

National average salary: $83,380 per year

Key Responsibilities: Professional skydivers are athletes who publicly perform jumps at events, competitions, and in demonstration videos. They are responsible for teaching and performing a number of different jumps and tricks. These professionals may be responsible for training, sponsorship partnerships, and media travel.

16. Discharge zone owner

National average salary: $94,217 per year

Key Responsibilities: Landing zone owners are business professionals who operate skydiving equipment. They are typically responsible for hiring employees, managing the budget, complying with local and federal regulations, acquiring aircraft, and scheduling inspections and maintenance. Drop zone owners also typically continue to practice and explore the sport in order to share their experiences with jumpers and staff.

How to become a skydiving instructor

Skydiving is gaining more and more popularity not only among fans of extreme recreation. Now it is not only a sport, but also a popular entertainment event.

No matter how far you go in your intentions (become professional or stop at one attempt), you will always be accompanied by a skydiving instructor. No one can do without an instructor, because a beginner needs a person with extensive experience who will explain and demonstrate how to behave when one on one in the sky with a parachute.

What are the tasks of the instructor

Beginners to master all the subtleties of skydiving cannot do without their teacher and mentor, who the instructor will be. He demonstrates to beginners how a parachute works, talks about all its potential capabilities and how to use it, and studies safety rules. In addition, the ground training course includes training on simulators, theoretical lectures on behavior before the jump, during the flight and at the time of landing, moral support is provided.

For those who intend to jump for fun, the instructor will be a benevolent and demanding teacher who will warn against rash actions and frivolous behavior that can lead to disastrous consequences.

How to become a skydiving instructor

Only those who have become an experienced skydiver can apply for the title of instructor. An applicant for this responsible job must have more than one hundred jumps behind him, he must deal in practice with various parachute systems. But even this is not enough. The instructor must be a balanced person, calm and attentive, and also have an excellent physical shape. In addition, he must have pedagogical abilities in order to be able to convey his knowledge, skills and abilities to his students.