How Much Does A Driving Instructor Earn?
Contents
- 1 How much does a driving instructor make per hour?
- 2 How much will a driving instructor earn for working a 35-hour week?
- 3 What are the overheads of being a driving instructor?
- 4 How many hours should I be working as a driving instructor?
- 5 Other factors that can affect my earnings as a driving instructor?
- 6 What will my pay actually look like?
- 7 How can I increase my earnings as a driving instructor?
- 8 Other ways to increase earnings as an Approved Driving Instructor
How much does a driving instructor earn? Well, how much you earn as an ADI is ultimately up to you. However, there are several factors you need to take into consideration, from your hourly charge and availability to car maintenance and other outgoings.
The bonus of becoming a driving instructor is that there’s always a demand from new drivers and plenty of ways to progress in your career. This guide pulls together the considerations when it comes to calculating your earnings, and the ways LIDIA can help you reach your potential.
How much does a driving instructor make per hour?
On average, a driving instructor can earn between £30 – £40 per hour.
Since the COVID pandemic, there has been an increase in demand for driving lessons, meaning the hourly rate has and could continue to increase.
However, there are some other factors to consider:
- Some driving instructors offer reduced introductory lessons rates
- Working with well-known and trusted driving schools can charge more
- If you are instructing in an area with a higher cost of living, the cost of lessons can reflect this
How much will a driving instructor earn for working a 35-hour week?
If we look at the average driving instructor salary, you’ll be charging £37.00 per hour for a 35-hour week. Times that by 48 weeks a year and you’ll earn around £62,160 annually. This is before any tax, overheads and reductions that you’ll incur.
What are the overheads of being a driving instructor?
When calculating your earnings, it’s important to include the following outgoings:
- Fuel
- Car maintenance
- Vehicle excise duty (if applicable)
- Vehicle lease
- Car insurance
- Driving school franchise fees
- Mobile usage
- Holiday and sickness allowance
- Miscellaneous costs
How many hours should I be working as a driving instructor?
This is dependent on your lifestyle and how many hours you need to work to achieve your goals. When making this decision, it’s important to consider other areas that can also impact your wage.
Other factors that can affect my earnings as a driving instructor?
Your overall salary can vary depending on the following:
- The amount of hours you choose to work
- How much you charge per hour
- The vehicle you teach in
- The location you teach in
- How much time you allow between lessons
- Your start and finish times
- Downtime if your car is ever off the road
- Various overheads mentioned earlier
What will my pay actually look like?
We have calculated what an average months pay could look like for a driving instructor, based on working a 48-week year. (Gross profit represents net income before tax.)
| Average Hourly Lesson Rate | £37.00 per hour - 35 teaching hours per week |
| Weekly Income (Turnover) | 35 hours - £1,295.00 |
| Weekly Expenditure (Running Costs) | Vehicle Lease - £125.00 Insurance - £10.00 Driving School Franchise - £122.00 Mobile - £8.00 Fuel - £105.00 Miscellaneous - £15.00 |
| Total Expenditure | £385.00 |
| Gross Profit | £910.00 Per Week £43,680.00 Per Annum |
How can I increase my earnings as a driving instructor?
Your driving instructor salary can easily be influenced by your dedication to your new career. With the right training, this can be a very prosperous career path, whether it’s growing your existing driving school or setting up on your own. You could also complete LIDIA’s ADI development course to develop your skills further.
Other ways to increase earnings as an Approved Driving Instructor
We’ve pulled together some top tips to help top up your income as an ADI:
- Be on time for your lessons
- Plan lessons in the same location on the same day
- Avoid cancelling lessons
- Have a robust cancellation policy
- Stay disciplined and dedicated
- Continue your development with LIDIA’s ADI courses
- Set up your own driving school using LIDIA On-Demand as your training partner
Driving your career forward
We know it can be scary to start a new career but as you can see, becoming a driving instructor can be a very prosperous and rewarding career choice. With LIDIA’s on-demand courses, you can train in your own time and have the support you need to grow your driving school and your career.