How to hire a defensive driving instructor

How to hire a defensive driving instructor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step defensive driving instructor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a defensive driving instructor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new defensive driving instructor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your defensive driving instructor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a defensive driving instructor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a defensive driving instructor to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a defensive driving instructor that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of defensive driving instructor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Defensive Driving Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Defensive Driving Instructor		$15-37
   Dance Teacher	Dance Teachers are responsible for leading dance classes to teach individuals or groups of people various dancing techniques. Dance Teachers are required to help their students improve their dancing skills by participating in amateur or professional dance competitions or performing in social events such as high school reunions... Show more	$15-34
   Martial Arts Instructor	A martial arts instructor helps people understand the philosophy and history of their chosen martial art and teaches them the skills needed to take part safely. They train students in combat techniques, mostly for recreation or for self-defense... Show more	$11-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Self-Defense Techniques
   • Class Content
   • Combat
   • Instruct Children
   • Karate
   • DMV

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead children's classes, training kids in kicks, punches, self-defense and how to avoid physical confrontations.
   • Cover the fundamental concepts of chemistry and biology including cell biology, metabolism, microbiology, genetics, evolution and histology.
   • Complete data entry and execute effective problem/resolution skills for other engineers.-Hand place and test semi-conductor chips on ESD bench.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your defensive driving instructor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A defensive driving instructor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, defensive driving instructors' average salary in alaska is 64% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level defensive driving instructors 58% less than senior-level defensive driving instructors.
   • Certifications. A defensive driving instructor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a defensive driving instructor's salary.

   Average defensive driving instructor salary

   $50,250yearly

   $24.16 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level defensive driving instructor salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

4. Writing a defensive driving instructor job description

   A good defensive driving instructor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a defensive driving instructor job description:

   Defensive driving instructor job description example

   SUITED SELF-DEFENSE INSTRUCTOR NEEDED FOR IMPACT, A
   
   FULL-CONTACT, TRAUMA-INFORMED SELF-DEFENSE PROGRAM
   
   IMPACT: A Division of Triangle
   
   Variable Schedule, Weekday Day Time Availability Preferred
   
   Since 1987 IMPACT Boston has been a leader in personal safety and self- defense training. Our curriculum presents students with realistic scenarios of threat, intimidation and imminent danger. Through repeated practice of fighting full-force in an adrenalized state, students learn to respond effectively to dangerous situations. Additionally, our organizational philosophy emphasizes abuse prevention, healing, empowerment, social justice, awareness and sensitivity to students' histories of trauma.
   
   IMPACT teaches women, men, children, and teens and has created customized programs for numerous groups including people with disabilities, abuse survivors, LGBTQ people, and high school students. Research on graduates of IMPACT shows that the training reduces symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in survivors of child abuse and domestic violence and that it increases students' self-efficacy and self-confidence in many areas of life, not just self- defense.
   
   IMPACT is hiring suited instructors to teach self-defense classes as part of a mixed gendered teaching team. In IMPACT's training model, suited instructors play a unique role that involves both teaching physical and verbal skills and playing the role of a perpetrator in simulated attack situations with students.
   
   Suited instructors wear full body armor specifically designed for this training to ensure their safety in scenarios in which students defend themselves by striking as hard as they can.
   
   We are looking for candidates with a strong commitment to preventing violence and the willingness to play these multiple roles. No self-defense experience is necessary. Extensive paid training is provided.
   
   Instructors are needed to work part-time on a varied schedule that includes weekday daytime hours and involves travel that is mostly within Eastern Massachusetts with occasional trips to Western Massachusetts and other New England states. Travel time is compensated and overnight travel is rare.
   
   DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
   
   · Ability and willingness to teach a physically demanding curriculum
   
   · Excellent physical condition-experience in martial arts or contact sports is preferred
   
   · Ability and willingness to provide support to students through a training process that is at times difficult and emotionally charged
   
   · Ability and willingness to play the role of a perpetrator in simulated attack scenarios
   
   · Some experience with teaching, counseling, martial arts, athletics, youth development, work with trauma survivors, criminal justice, or personal safety
   
   · Reliable access to a car and cell phone
   
   · Availability during weekday daytime hours
   
   · Reliability
   
   · Experience working with teens and middle school students or strong willingness to teach self-defense to young people
   
   · Competency or Fluency in Spanish, Haitian Creole, or Portuguese is a plus

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right defensive driving instructor for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with defensive driving instructors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit defensive driving instructors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your defensive driving instructor job on Zippia to find and recruit defensive driving instructor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with defensive driving instructor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new defensive driving instructor

   Once you've selected the best defensive driving instructor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new defensive driving instructor first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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