I have been asked this question several times that how much can a CPR instructor earn. To answer the question I usually present three scenarios, one being you as an instructor working for someone else and teaching courses for them to their customers. The second with you being an entrepreneur with your own company and teaching for the company as a contractor. The third one is you with your own company and being an independent contractor who serves your own customers. I will explain each in detail in the following paragraphs.

First, is the instructor working for a Training Center or other entrepreneur as one of its instructors. In that instance the instructor is treated as an employee and is subject to the operating procedures of the center/company and gets paid as an employee with taxes and other fees subtracted from their gross wage. They usually get paid on a weekly, bi-weekly or in some cases a monthly basis. The amount they make is based on his or her availability to teach a course procured by the agency. In this case the center does all the work of advertising and following up with the customer which decides the starting and ending time and the location of the training.

All the instructor has to do is show up and teach. In many cases this involves travelling distances throughout the state or region they are teaching in. I suggest that the instructor has a vehicle in good shape to get them to the training site on time in good stead. For this the CPR instructor earn an hourly wage of approximately $20 to $25 per hour for teaching the class.

In most cases the training center or company will have all the material the instructor will need to teach the course. All the instructor has to do is pick up and transport the material to the training site. Depending on the size of the audience this could be 2 or 3 cases of mannequins, 3 or 4 AED trainers, 20 valves and 10 masks. In addition, you will need all the forms and handouts required for the course. Depending on the training site the instructor will also have to have a DVD player equipped with an HDMI cable. All of these things can be procured from a well equipped training center. If you can procure any of these items on your own it will make you more attractive to the training center and possibly earn you more training assignments.

The second scenario centers around the instructor establishing a side business and hiring themselves out as a contractor to the Training Center. In this case the center would pay you the same amount per hour but it would not deduct any taxes or fees. All of the money you earn would be yours to keep. It would be up to you to file your taxes at the end of the year with a 1099 supplied to you by the training center. As an entrepreneur you can subtract any expenses for providing the service and any other business expenses you incur during the year.

The third scenario involves the instructor establishing a side business and hiring themselves out as a contractor to their own customers. Through letters, postcards, referrals, and handing out business cards the instructor procures his or her own audience. In this case the instructor charges a certain amount (between $40 and $80) for each student and pays the Training Center a set fee for processing the class and issuing the cards if needed. After having done this the instructor / contractor keeps the remainder of the fee for themselves. So if the instructor is able to get a class of 10 students, he or she would take in approx $500 in profit for each class lasting approximately 3 to 4 or in some cases more hours depending on the needs of the customer.

On average a First Aid / CPR instructor earn approximately 20 – 25 dollars an hour teaching for a certified Training Center. Usually you will be teaching several classes averaging 3 to 4 hours each plus First Aid which would yield about $100 for the day. Most Training Centers or Training companies pay on a semi weekly or monthly basis. So if you teach 5 classes in a month as an employee you can earn approximately $300 to $400 after taxes. If you are lucky and teach more than 5 classes in the month you can take home upwards of $500 a month. If you are even luckier, you can contract as a consultant to the center and keep all the money you earn.

If you choose to advertise your services and conduct classes on your own you can profit even more. Let’s say you contract for a class of 10 students for a BLS class. You can charge anywhere from $50 to $80 dollars per person depending on the going fees in your area, which would net you approximately $700 per class after paying for the card, When you teach an AHA BLS course you can issue an e-card to the student which makes the transaction that much easier. Just make sure to teach above what the course requires. In other words add things that expound on the material they are learning. The more interesting you are in your teaching session, the more likely you are to get referrals.

So whether you choose to teach for a training center or teach on your own you can make a reasonable second income. In addition you can add extras to your teaching that will not only increase satisfaction, it will also make you the talk of the town!

If you are interested in finding out some of the extras that make an impression, feel free to contact me off line.