skydiving careers?

[snapontoolman 0]

Can anyone tell me what an average income could be for a full-time tandem instructor. Or, for that matter, an AFF instructor.

[airtwardo 7]

Does the term "Food Stamps"
mean anything to ya?!


No really,
depending on where you are...
you can make a decent living !

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[crutch 0]

Ask all of the guys living in the trailers/old school buses.

blue skies,

art

[mjosparky 4]

Below average, way below.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[rmsmith 1]

Don't forget to ask about the dental benefits too!

[tombuch 0]

I quickly tackle that issue in my book, "JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy," in a chapter called All About Drop Zones.

Most instructors around the USA are part timers who do the job for fun, rather than money. They manage to pick up pocket change, but not much more than that. The folks at your DZ in the Poconos are probably pretty typical of the bulk of our instructional workforce.

While writing the book I surveyed full time professional instructors. Some of the pros report they are able to make between USD 25,000 and USD 40,000 per year, but that requires full-full time work all year long. Most people who are able to earn that kind of income need to travel between seasonal DZ's, or work at one of the major drop zones in the South. Few drop zones provide any kind of medical insurance or vacation time, and the career path is very limited. Most instructors are paid for "piece work," so you need to hustle, and won't make any money if the weather is bad. You will find the bulk of the money is in doing tandems, a very physical task that generally results in at least minor injuries, and those injuries can quickly disrupt a seasonal plan and limit your income opportunities. The work is hard and requires skill in all the major training disciplines, as well as rigging, and it helps if you are also an examiner in a few areas. You must really enjoy dealing with people, and need to smoothly handle the "politics" of local drop zones. Very few jumpers last for more than a couple of years of work at the full time instructor level.

With all that said, there are career opportunities if it is your interest. Some instructors move on to own a DZ, while others move into more stable rigging, equipment manufacturing, or sales. Some move into piloting. There are opportunities if you want them, but it is a tough road, although jumpers who succeed are happy and generally say it is the best option for them. Certainly teaching skydiving is a better option for some people than pounding a desk in a cube farm.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[TrickyDicky 0]

At my DZ I think S/L instructors only get paid 4 free jumps for teaching a course plus the free jump every time they dispatch a lift.

I think the Tandem and AFF get paid cash, but not much. Its only a small DZ (getting bigger) and the DZO is only just covering costs of expanding atm, if not making a loss.

I know at one small DZ (2x piston 206) in this country they get £60/tandem (£40 if use centre kit). And there are at least 20 tandems every saturday. Do the math.

UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

[riggerrob 643]

To expand on a point made by tombuch ... the more ratings you hold, the more you will earn.
For example, I am an instructor for static-line, IAD, PFF and tandem, Coach 2, FAA Master Rigger and inside videogrpaher.
Some months, all I did was train static-liners.
Other months, all I did was tandems.
When it rained, I was the only DZ employee making money, patching canopies.
The more rating you hold, the more hours you can work.
However, I have lost jobs because I am not a plumber, accountant, salesman, aircraft mechanic or commercial pilot.
Ironically, my current boss does not want to complete my commercial pilot license because I am too valuable with all my other skills.

Even with all those ratings, it is still a dog-eat-dog world with DZOs trying to extract the maximum labor for the minimum wages. This means working long hours on everything that can earn you a penny and quietly ignoring "free" work (i.e. mowing the lawn).
You have to negotiate hard before agreeing to work at a DZ and if the DZO does not fulfill his side of the contract, you have to be willing to walk away quietly.
The root of the problem is that DZOs have grown accustomed to enthusiastic amateurs who are willing to work for free (jump tickets) and they begrudge paying professionals living wages, much less dental coverage, etc..
I know the above may sound pessimistic and I know I could be earning triple my wages as a civil servant, but I am just not cut out for office work.

Despite all the friction, I enjoy the long hours and flexible schedule of working on a DZ.

[skybill 22]

Hi Snap,
(Overheard in the DZ Bar),"Ya' wanna' make a small fortune in Skydiving??? Well, start with a 'LARGE' one."

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[bigway 4]

you can make a pretty good living in new zealand as long as you are at a tandem factory. you get around 50 nzd per jump as a tandem master or camera flyer. you will do close to 1000 jumps per year. you also get extra for aff and static line. 50,000nzd is good money in new zealand but you do need to be at a busy dz.

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