Thinking of becoming a kitesurf instructor and wondering what your salary will be? Do you want to know how much kitesurf instructors earn? First of all, let us tell you that if you are looking to get rich, you better look elsewhere.
If we consider the job of a kitesurf instructor solely from an economic point of view, this is probably one of the lowest-paid jobs in the world, taking into account the effort and the harsh working conditions of sun, heat, wind, waves or currents.
On the other hand, if you are looking to make your passion your job, then yes, kitesurfing is a well-paying job.
Working as a kitesurf instructor is a very rewarding job. The happy face of the students, when they kite for the first time, is incredible and an exciting moment. There is no better feeling for a kitesurf instructor than the moment his students ride for the first time.
In addition to dedicating ourselves professionally to what we like the most, which is kitesurfing, we also have the opportunity to enjoy kitesurfing in our free time. In addition, thanks to kitesurfing we have the possibility to travel and discover new kitesurf spots, and this is an advantage that other jobs do not offer you! If you also telecommute and can combine your hours on the computer plus a few hours a day doing what you like, then you’ve won the lottery.
In fact, kitesurfing is our passion, which is why you will rarely find kitesurfing instructors dissatisfied with their work or not happy with what they do.
If you are thinking of becoming a kitesurf teacher, you are probably wondering if it is well paid or not. In this article, we want to give you an idea more or less of what the salary of a kitesurf instructor is. Is it well paid to be a kitesurf teacher?
Depending on the kitesurfing destination, the kitesurfing teacher profession is better paid than elsewhere
For example, in North America and Northern Europe kite instructors earn more money than in South America or Southern Europe. This is understandable seeing what they charge for the courses in some places and in others
What is the average salary of a kitesurfing instructor?
Are you thinking of working as a kitesurf instructor and want to know how much you are going to make?
To answer this question, look at the factors below.
Are you going to be hired as a freelancer or as a permanent worker? Do they offer you lodging and/or food?
You should know that, depending on the conditions of the contract, you will receive one salary or another. For example, working as a freelancer is not the same as being a permanent worker
There are many kitesurfing schools that offer free accommodation to monitors and other schools offer accommodation and deduct it from the salary at the end of the month. It is best to look for a school that offers you accommodation and a salary in relation to the percentage. As a general rule, kitesurf instructors should charge between 30% and 40% of the price of the courses. In general, kitesurf teachers usually charge between €20 and €30 per hour of work.
If you have found a kitesurf school to work for and you are offered to get paid less than 15 euros per hour without accommodation, we recommend that you look for other options.
Other schools, instead of paying by the hour, offer a fixed salary. This fixed salary can range from 1,500 euros per month to 3,000 euros. (In the Nordic countries they offer very high tax salaries for kitesurfing instructors, but keep in mind that you will also have to pay a lot)
In high season and when there is a high volume of work, schools often use independent or sporadic workers to cover the hours. Freelancers often charge more per hour worked. This doesn’t always happen, but as a freelance kitesurf instructor you can pay up to 50 euros an hour if you do it right.
In high season, you can earn between 1,500 and 2,000 euros per month as a kitesurf instructor. In countries like Norway or Sweden, you can make up to 3,000 euros as a kitesurf instructor. But keep in mind that the high taxes and the high standard of living do not make it so attractive anymore. Also, you better have a good wetsuit because prepare to be cold in the water
Private classes or group classes?
If you have previously worked as a kitesurf instructor, you will know that teaching one person is not the same as teaching several. Being aware of several students at the same time is a harder job and therefore, it should be better paid. Most kitesurf schools pay more for group lessons. (It is also true that they charge customers more). To be fair, if you are charging €20 an hour to give private lessons, you should be charging €25 or €30 for classes with two or three people.
Are you a certified instructor? Do you speak several languages? Do you have experience?
All this also counts when determining the salary of a kitesurf instructor. It is not easy to find a professional instructor with all these characteristics, and the schools know it.
If you have an IKO certification or official certifications like the German VDWS, you have more options to get paid more as a kitesurf instructor. Today certified kitesurf instructors are highly sought after and as a certified instructor, your salary is guaranteed. If you also speak several languages and have previous experience as a kitesurf instructor, you have more options to charge more as a kitesurf instructor.
We hope that this article has served as a reference for your next job as a kitesurf instructor. Definitely, the kitesurfing instructor job is something where you can earn a good living and at the same time enjoy what you like the most, which is kitesurfing.
