How to hire a swim instructor

How to hire a swim instructor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step swim 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 swim instructor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new swim instructor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a swim instructor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a swim instructor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A swim instructor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, swim instructors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents swim instructor salaries for various positions.

   Type of Swim Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Swim Instructor		$8-16
   Ocean Lifeguard	An Ocean Lifeguard maintains continuous surveillance of people in the area of a beach. They supervise swimmers to ensure that they are swimming in accordance with safety protocols.	$11-17
   Swim Coach	A swim coach is someone who teaches and trains people how to swim. A swim coach provides tips and techniques for people to follow if they want to learn how to swim... Show more	$11-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Lifeguard
   • Cleanliness
   • Customer Service
   • Kids
   • Emergency Situations
   • Work Ethic
   • Safety Procedures
   • Learn-To-Swim
   • Safety Rules
   • Allergies
   • Private Lessons
   • Group Classes
   • Group Swim Lessons
   • Children AGE

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Care for and assist children with severe food allergies.
   • Certify in water aerobics, as well as CPR.

   More swim instructor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the swim instructor job description is a good way to get more applicants. A swim instructor salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a swim instructor in Tennessee may be lower than in Maine, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level swim instructor. Additionally, a swim instructor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average swim instructor salary

   $12.41hourly

   $25,815 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level swim instructor salary

   $18,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 23, 2025

   Average swim instructor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$35,200	$17
   2	California	$35,029	$17
   3	Washington	$34,119	$16
   4	New York	$33,614	$16
   5	New Hampshire	$32,658	$16
   6	Maryland	$29,071	$14
   7	Minnesota	$26,715	$13
   8	Colorado	$26,196	$13
   9	Michigan	$25,101	$12
   10	Wisconsin	$24,882	$12
   11	Georgia	$24,217	$12
   12	Florida	$24,152	$12
   13	Virginia	$24,046	$12
   14	Illinois	$23,715	$11
   15	North Carolina	$22,324	$11
   16	Kansas	$21,951	$11
   17	Tennessee	$21,511	$10
   18	Texas	$21,040	$10
   19	Ohio	$19,973	$10
   20	Iowa	$19,910	$10

   Average swim instructor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Massachusetts General Hospital	$45,286	$21.77
   2	Robbinsdale Area Schools	$33,615	$16.16	2
   3	PSEA	$33,230	$15.98	10
   4	Hyatt Hotels	$32,290	$15.52	7
   5	Cuesta College	$32,080	$15.42	1
   6	Esf, Inc.	$32,073	$15.42
   7	Trustmark Insurance Co	$31,951	$15.36	61
   8	Health First	$30,491	$14.66	1
   9	West Tennessee Healthcare	$30,431	$14.63
   10	Jewish Senior Life	$30,392	$14.61
   11	Swedish Hospital	$30,368	$14.60
   12	University of Pennsylvania	$30,326	$14.58	56
   13	City of Georgetown	$30,285	$14.56
   14	Active Wellness	$29,876	$14.36	5
   15	Dwight School	$29,852	$14.35
   16	TriHealth	$29,639	$14.25	5
   17	Main Street Wooster	$29,435	$14.15
   18	Hamilton Health Care System	$29,388	$14.13	3
   19	CHRISTUS Health	$29,318	$14.10	4
   20	Vidant Health	$29,123	$14.00

4. Writing a swim instructor job description

   A swim instructor job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a swim instructor job description:

   Swim instructor job description example

   Job DescriptionDo you love working with children? Are you outgoing and a people person? Do you thrive in a team environment? Do you want a job with purpose? Do you want to enjoy coming to work everyday? Then Main Street Swim is the place for you!
   
   Main Street Swim is looking for reliable, responsible, and energetic candidates to become a part of our amazing team.
   
   MSS specializes in professional, nurturing swim lessons for all ages and abilities. Using the MSS proven curriculum, we create happy confidant swimmers that learn to not only love the water, but to be safer in and around it.
   
   With an always growing enrollment, we would love to continue to add candidates who enjoy paid training, flexible schedules, and love working in a positive environment surrounded by kids.
   You do not need to be an experienced swimmer or swim instructor, all training is provided and paid.
   
   Our swim instructors have the following qualities:
   
   Love working with children Eager to learn new things Team player Reliable and responsible The swim instructor is responsible for the safety of each class and teaching swim lessons to students. The swim instructors works to build confidence for students in the water, using the MSS curriculum. They are able to communicate with students, parents and staff members. Swim instructors welcome feedback and are a continuous learner. They will report to the Deck Supervisor and Aquatics Director during shifts and provide support throughout the pool deck as needed.
   
   MSS offers paid training at and a starting wage of $18-$25 per hour once you are assigned classes on your own. Starting wage is negotiable with prior experience. This is a part time position, 10-20 hours. There is opportunity to learn other roles creating a full time position.
   
   Key Requirements
   
   Ability to stand, walk, stoop, crouch or swim for up to 5 hours in the water Ability to lift, hold, and/or move equipment or small child up to 50 pounds Minimum 2 years of high school - must be 16 years or older Can commit to a minimum of 1 year and 2 shifts per week Afternoons and weekends required Ability to follow all COVID related policies Potential Benefits, dependent on hours: PTO Career Growth Employee discounts/swim lessons

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find swim instructors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your swim instructor job on Zippia to find and recruit swim instructor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting swim instructors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 swim instructor

   Once you've decided on a perfect swim instructor candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new swim 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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How much does it cost to hire a swim instructor?