Should I tip my ski instructor?

The short answer is yes. How much? $20-50/hour would be ideal. I have had far greater tips than that, but often, no tips at all. Sadly.

I am in my 4th year of working as a ski isntructor. This season, 24-25, has been incredibly difficult in Southern California. The fires, the lack of snow, the warm temps that melt any semblance of natural snow in a matter of hours. It’s been challenging. But one thing hasn’t changed, and that is pay.

Most people assume that ski instructors are well-paid, royalty of the ski resort. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Those days are over.

A ski instructor, first and foremost must buy equipment, clothing and training. Certifications get you more hourly pay, but that doesn’t necessarily amount to much.

If an instructor chooses to be certified, they must join PSIA/AASI. That’s about $150. After joining, you have to get training in order to take an exam for certification. Training may be offered for free for an employee of a mountain, but it’s unpaid. So you have to sacrifice a day of working in order to have training. An exam, or now known as an assessment, costs about $250. In most cases, you’ll have to travel far to a larger resort, resulting in a bill of $1,500 for gas, lodging, a pass to the mountain if you don’t have one, and food.

But taking an assesment/exam does not mean you get the cert. You have to actually pass. The Level 1 is relatively easy to get. Level 2 has about 50% pass rate and Level 3 5%. So for thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours, you can get your certs and earn your right to another couple of dollars in hourly pay.

BUT- you do it for the love. As a former professional cyclist who has heard this refrain over and over, love doesn’t pay the bills. My love for skiing doesn’t equate to a mortgage payment. Can you imagine calling the bank… you give out mortgages for the love of it, money doesn’t matter. Your worth as a ski instructor is actually very little to the mountain. Some mountains value you more than others, but it’s really tenuous.

How much do Ski Instructors get paid?

Anywhere from ~$15/hour to $20 is average for an uncertified instructor. $25/hour is pretty good for a Level 2. And you might see in the $30s as a Level 3. But by the time people get to Level 3, they drop out for some reason or other. That is anecdotal, so don’t quote me on that. But I see the burnout is hard by the time you reach Level 3.

Also keep in mind that most ski instructors will work 5-6 hours per day. Certain resorts have cut the daily hours of a ski instructor, so earning an actual livable amount of income becomes increasingly more difficult. Some resorts uphold a reasonable schedule, but if there are no lessons, the instructors are sent home. So you could get ready, show up, and be told there are no lessons. You get to waive your show up pay, and stand around for 2 hours cleaning the locker room, shoveling, taking out trash, what have you.

SO why do you do it?

Fantastic question! This is a highly skilled profession. I, and we, take pride in our ability to deliver a great ski lesson. A great lesson is one that is safe, is fun, and perhaps gives the client a little nugget of learning so they can improve their skiing to reduce chance of injury and have more fun on more of the mountain. Being outside all day is requisite for some of us to feel sane, so being on the slopes doing something fun yet physical gives us life and purpose.

Where does all that money that we pay for lessons actually go, then?

yes, When you extrapolate the cost of a lesson across the pay for an instructor, it’s a little vexing. If an instructor teaches a group lesson to 5 guests who are paying (on the low end) $199 for a 2 hour lesson, that’s $1,000. Rough math, but you get my point. If the instructor is paid, let’s be generous, $25 (because they are Level 2), then they will be paid $50 for the lesson. Of course there is a little bit of time to clock in before and after the lesson, so let’s say all in, $75. That’s $925 that per 2 hour lesson that goes into uniforms (replaced every 3-4 years maybe?), administration, the ski instructor’s ski pass, etc. If an instructor teaches 2, 2-hour group lessons to 5 people, they bring in $2,000 on the day and get paid $150 (if they are on the clock for 6 hours which is unlikely at most resorts). So the uniform is paid for in one day, the ski pass is basically paid for in one day (again depending upon resort), their trainer is paid for, what else? The ski school is a cash cow for the resort.

Can’t I just hire an instructor privately and pay them directly?

I won’t lie, I really wish I could do this because it would make all the sacrifice, the cold, the sunburn, the thousands of dollars spent on equipment, travel and training and certifications worth it.

The problem is if an instructor accepts this assignment they will be fired, stripped of their certifications and potentially face legal action and even incarceration. Believe me, we all want to work directly with clients. It would be easier for everyone. Alas we cannot, and please do not ask because you are putting us in a really tough spot. Many ski instructors are desperate for more money, and the temptation is there.

Why not form a union like the Ski Patrollers?

Another fantastic question. Many ski. instructors are part-timers working only some weekends or holidays. These instructors are typically highly paid in their day jobs. They might be business owners, lawyers, sales people. There is no chance of signing these people up for a union because they do not need or care about the pay. They take the job for the perks. The ski pass. The learning opportunities, the camaraderie. I don’t see it working.

So in the end, the pay is low, it’s an expensive sport and it’s a physically, emotionally and mentally draining job. But we love it. So if you enjoyed your lesson, please tip us!

Thank you, and get out and ski!

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