How much do driving instructors earn?

Not only is becoming a driving instructor one of the most rewarding, enjoyable careers an individual can pursue, but it also offers fantastic earning potential. And, whilst the best instructors don’t do it for the money, it’s essential to understand how much you could potentially earn when taking the leap and deciding the train to become a driving instructor. 

If you’re considering becoming an approved driving instructor (ADI) or applying to become a potential driving instructor (PDI), we’ve put together some handy information to give you an idea of how much you could be earning.

This question is a tricky one to answer, as there are many variables, however, the average cost of a driving lesson in the UK is currently around £28 per/hour. This obviously varies depending on several factors such as where you are located, and your level of experience, however delivering your lessons under a brand such as My Four Wheels means you can demand more per hour especially when you are first starting up. 

Sometimes you may need to offer introductory offers to fill gaps in your diary, and whilst this means you may be working for less than your average hourly rate in the first instance, it’s a fantastic way to attract new learners who will go on to pay for an additional 20-30 hours with you. 

It’s also important to understand that as a My Four Wheels driving instructor, you will only ever carry out 2-hour lessons. Not only does this double your income from the same number of students immediately, but it also means you significantly cut down on fuel costs as a result of not having to travel in between lessons where you’re not earning! 

On top of this, unlike other driving schools, we won’t penalise you for taking out a trainee license and reducing your hourly rates. We believe that if someone is training to become a driving instructor and operating on a Trainee License, you deserve to earn just as much as other driving instructors in your area. As such, we will never offer learners a discount just because you’re not fully qualified yet. 

 

How much you earn on a weekly basis really comes down to how many hours you are prepared to work. Obviously, the more hours you work the more you’re likely to earn, however, it’s important that you maintain a good work-life balance. Working all hours under the sun isn’t for everyone, so ensuring you maintain a diary that fits with your own personal circumstances is vital. 

However, let's look at a few examples of average working hours to see how much you could potentially be making based on a national average of £32 per/hour:

 

24 hours per week (part-time)              £768 per/week                     £39,936 per/year

32 hours per week                                  £1024 per/week                  £53,248 per/year

40 hours per week (full time)                £1280 per/week                   £66,560 per/year

 

As with any business, being a driving instructor comes with overheads and expenses which need to be factored in when working out your earnings. The important things to think about are anything to do with your car, running it and maintaining it. These include the car itself, fuel, insurance, tax and any repairs that might be needed to keep it in tip-top condition. 

As a national driving school, My Four Wheels has built fantastic relationships with several different suppliers over the years from car suppliers to insurance brokers, meaning you can often secure better pricing because you’re a part of our family!

When becoming a driving instructor, you also need to think about how you are going to source a constant supply of pupils. For many instructors, marketing can often become a huge expense, however, as a My Four Wheels instructor, we take care of all of that for you. As a My Four Wheels franchisee you’ll be provided with an unlimited number of qualified pupils, ready to learn, so you can focus on the more important things…like teaching. 

 

Increasing your earning potential isn’t just about working that extra evening or weekend. As a driving instructor, you’re also a business owner and operator, so running a tight ship will ensure you can reduce your outgoings and maximise your income. 

The highest outgoing for any driving instructor is their fuel, it’s used to get to lessons, on the lessons themselves, and after lessons…you can’t get away from it, unfortunately. However, with clever dairy management and the support of our account management and training support teams, we can ensure that the time and distance spent travelling between lessons is kept to a minimum thus reducing your costs considerably. We’ll also always try and supply you with students that are local to your area, and the test centre(s) that you cover, meaning you’re not going to have extensive drives where you’re not earning!

As a driver, you’ll also understand how important it is to keep your car in good condition. Not only does this ensure you maintain the safety and integrity of the vehicle, but it can considerably help with fuel efficiency and maintenance costs. For example, if your tyres are slightly deflated, this can have a huge effect on your vehicle drag, thus increasing your fuel consumption.