How To Become A Swim Instructor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a swim instructor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A swim instructor teaches swimming techniques, swimming strokes, and water safety rules to students with varying levels of swimming abilities, assists more experienced swimmers to enhance their swimming abilities, and assesses the progress of students and adjusting teaching programs accordingly. They monitor students to prevent accidents or injuries, implement ground rules, plan swimming sessions that take into account student's abilities and progressive development, identify incorrect swimming techniques, and correct students appropriately ensuring that the swimming pools and locker rooms are kept clean and tidy.

As a rule, they require certain skills such as CPR and first aid and American Safety Instructor and Basic Swim Instructor certifications. They should have sound knowledge of proper swimming techniques and water safety, effective communication skills, and be passionate and enthusiastic.

A high school diploma or GED is enough, plus being an experienced swimmer, for example a retired professional swimmer. On average, they earn $24,852 per year, which translates to $11.95 per hour. Though generally, they earn anywhere between $18,000 and $35,000 a year.

ScoreSwim InstructorUS Average

Salary

2.0

Avg. Salary $25,815

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.2

Growth rate 19%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.32%

Asian 4.31%

Black or African American 5.69%

Hispanic or Latino 13.48%

Unknown 7.68%

White 68.52%

Gender

female 68.02%

male 31.98%

Age - 21

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 21

Stress level

8.2

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

3.7

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a swim instructor

Explore swim instructor education requirements

Most common swim instructor degrees

Bachelor's

66.8 %

High School Diploma

13.5 %

Associate

12.4 %

Start to develop specific swim instructor skills

Skills	Percentages
Lifeguard	20.74%
Cleanliness	19.58%
Customer Service	15.36%
Kids	12.00%
Emergency Situations	4.38%

Complete relevant swim instructor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New swim instructors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a swim instructor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real swim instructor resumes.

Gain additional swim instructor certifications

Swim instructor certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific swim instructor certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for swim instructors include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Lifeguard Certification.

More About Certifications

Research swim instructor duties and responsibilities

Manage all subjects of TOEFL.
Manage, facilitate and coordinate competitive swimming events using HY-TEK system.
Manage social media accounts while promoting camper interaction and sharing of the UCA brand experience.
Maintain continual first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification, while ensuring the members' requests are meet and exceed their expectations.

Prepare your swim instructor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your swim instructor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a swim instructor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable swim instructor resume templates

Build a professional swim instructor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your swim instructor resume.

Apply for swim instructor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a swim instructor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do swim instructors rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

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1 star

Swim instructor reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020

Cons

Swimmers to swim in cold water, and the facility not a proper one with little amenities, and too far to travel from the swimming pool no proper coaching which is a lack in South Africa

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019

Pros

Meeting patrons keeping people safe