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Any driving instructors on the forum?
Having been made redundant recently and having also got a bit sick of working in IT after 30+ years, I've been looking at other options. Given that driving instructors appear to be heavily in demand and it looks reasonably well paid / flexible albeit lower than I was earning, it seems worth considering. Bit of a retirement type job possibly!?
There's a local driving instructor training school not far from me who do a free 'taster' session so should give the chance to find out a lot more as long as it's not just a sales pitch.
I know a couple of people who have done this. As there is high demand, their advice is to pay for your training rather than be tied into a school franchise.
My cousin has started doing this recently. He's doing OK with it but works long hours and I don't know it's that well paid. Your hourly charge has to cover vehicle depreciation, fuel, maintenance, insurance, holidays, taxes, pension, national insurance and the general costs of doing business. You're way, way behind the £45 per hour (round out way) in your pocket.
As above. My friend did it through BSM and hated it, she was tied in for a certain length of time once she'd completed her training.
Much happier now she's independent
Consider your home life.
Most learners will either work or be at school and so you'll be working when they're available in the afternoon, weekend and evening.
They'll stop lessons when you possibly need to earn, eg to pay for Christmas, etc.
There are lots of frustrations around test availablity
I teach 6th form students
They talk about how hard it is to get an instructor and will happily sack off school work in favour of a driving lesson. Much to my annoyance.
All the instructor have thrown lessons paid up front and don't pay refunds of the students have to cancel. Hence the school work not the lesson getting sacked off.
Who ever taught some of my students to drive must have had a hair raising experience
Georgia- regularly wheel spinning out of the six form car park
Idrees- wrote off two cars before finishing year 13
Lad I know tried but the final exam is really difficult and there's a limit to how many times you can fail before you're blocked from having another go. He's a bus driver now.
I have a friend who went into it after retiring from the police. I asked him and he said it is worthwhile only if you view it as a full time gig because of your fixed costs. Also as above you need to be happy working a lot of weekends and evenings.
Having taught my wife and two sons to drive (after a few initial lessons) I can only think the stress would be a bit less in a dual control car. On the other hand stress for 40 hours a week is different from stress for a few hours a week for a limited time.
I very much doubt its well paid.
I friend of mine instructs privately, but the rate he charges pupils is only £40 per hour.
Factor in that you're only going to be able to charge for a % of your hours as there will be down time between lessons, plus when the car isnt available due to MOT/servicing/repairs etc.
You then have the costs of running a car which is generally going to have a hard life, with lots of start/stops and learner mistakes. My guess is thats going to be ~50% of the above.
I dount he makes much more than minimum wage once he has paid himself, all of the other employment costs and holidays/sickness/etc..
He enjoys it as its better than working in a warehouse, gives him flexibility and he enjoys the teaching aspect.
£35 per hour round here seems to be the norm (Salford/Manchester).
£45 per hour!!1! It was £25 when I learnt.
...I feel old.
Edit: And yes I know someone is about to come along and say "£25? It were 2/6 when I were a lad" 😉
£7 from memory 🤣
£45 per hour!!1! It was £25 when I learnt.
...I feel old.
I think it was £12 per hour or £20 for two hours when I learnt
A mate has done it, and seems to enjoy it. "His" car is a manual but he also teaches in his wife's automatic EV, as there is a lot of demand for that now.
He only has Saturday afternoons and Sundays off, but works lessons around his hobbies/family etc. He taught the kids of a few in our social circle, including NoLongerLittleMissMC, which led to a lot of referrals to their friends, college contacts etc.
He's shared some interesting tales of some of his more difficult pupils. I think getting a reputation for being good with pupils on the spectrum was a double edged sword, but he has been a swimming instructor in the past and does enjoy helping people to overcome challenges in whatever he is teaching.
I reckon the OP should go for it - mainly because the "Chaos School of Motoring" has a real ring to it.
I reckon the OP should go for it - mainly because the "Chaos School of Motoring" has a real ring to it.
And for our first lesson, intersections...
