Thread: Going rate for paying beginner teachers?

Hi ladies!

Need to hire another instructor on my payroll, what's the going rate?

You can pm me or email raq-on AT hotmail DOT Com.

Thanks!
Amity

i pay mine 30€ per hour

I pay 60% of revenue (to reward popular teachers and encourage them to think about student retention).

I ask each teacher what her personal minimum is and that's how I determine the minimum registration for their classes. My teachers want a minimum of $30-40 per hour, some want a guarantee of two back-to-back classes, depending on how far they're driving.

rates vary by region.

Rates also depend on how much legwork the teacher has to do. If you have to advertise and promote all the time in order to keep your class full you should charge more.
I have taught all the different ways. Splitting it with the studio per student, renting a studio by the hour and getting paid by the hour. I now take a lower rate at the YMCA and prefer it. I don't have to advertise and I get paid no matter what.

Thanks ladies.

Mine will be employees aka on payroll with taxes paid/withheld. From a payroll vs independent contractor for IRS purposes, there is a huge gap.If a person is determining their hours, what and how they teach, and their own rates, then their independent.If I tell them when, how, and how much (even a %), they are employees. I would assume dancers who are paid on payroll would be paid less because marketing/overhead would be done for them.

Anyone else follow this methodology?

It's also important to remember that teaching is not a typical "hourly wage" job, even if it IS billed "per hour."
Any job that requires lots of prep (even if no advertising) AND that one cannot do 40 hours per week (which is true of this due to both physicality AND the need to drive from location to location) has different (ie higher) hourly rates than a 9-5 job.

Originally Posted by RaqOn

Thanks ladies.

Mine will be employees aka on payroll with taxes paid/withheld. From a payroll vs independent contractor for IRS purposes, there is a huge gap.If a person is determining their hours, what and how they teach, and their own rates, then their independent.If I tell them when, how, and how much (even a %), they are employees. I would assume dancers who are paid on payroll would be paid less because marketing/overhead would be done for them.

Anyone else follow this methodology?

Most of my teachers really ARE independent contractors. They have a LOT of control over setting their hours, and complete control over how they teach their classes. Most of them run their own businesses, promote their classes, spend time outside of class developing choreographies, & teach at multiple locations. They spend their own money on marketing, music for class, props for student use (some of them), liability insurance and self-employment taxes.

I totally agree, an employee is paid VERY differently and treated very differently. Going rate in my area for a dance or fitness instructor on payroll is about $20 per hour. However, if they're expected to promote their class, develop choreographies & lesson plans, arrive early to set up, stay late answering students' questions, etc. all that should be ON the clock. And the employer should provide all materials (music for class, props for student use, etc.)

$20 an hour? May I genuinely ask, how does one pay for certification, updating CPR and other training along with music etc that is still the instructors responsibility?

Here there is a huge variance.
Gyms (that have contacted me) are paying around $25/hr. That doesn't begin to cover expenses and potential for my own development as a teacher is very limited that way.
Dance studios (that I've worked for) $60 an hour plus (for extra students). Private clubs $75/hr. One studio 50/50 split. This is all "independent contractor", with no taxes taken out, but those places ALL do the advertising and administration work.
If I'm doing advertising and admin- I'm renting for a flat fee.

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

$20 an hour? May I genuinely ask, how does one pay for certification, updating CPR and other training along with music etc that is still the instructors responsibility?

As sad as it is, Lauren is right; I'm in the same general area. My university's rec center will only pay dance instructors $20/hr. I screamed and yelled and wrote the administrators, and wrote all the dance instructors trying to get support to pressure for higher wages, and nothing ever happened. They offer students subsidized class rates that undercut the private market, which would actually be okay if the university was the one subsidizing, but they are not. The dance teachers are.

Another private gym owner in town pays $20 per hour and she thinks that is a good rate -- she only pays her zumba and aerobics instructors $10 per hour.

I finally walked from both venues an will not go back. I work for a new, struggling dance studio and the owner pays me a split similar to what Lauren pays her people. I have not attracted many students, so I'm actually earning less than I did at the rec center.

But I'm standing on my principles (and granted, I can afford to because I have a day job). For the time being, I'd rather be a failing entrepreneur than a screwed-over employee.

I agree with Lauren & ssipes. In my area, Zumba instructors are paid $10/hour, group fitness instructors are paid $15-20/hour.
I work at a larger University and they pay a fixed amount per semester based on the number of classes I teach. Another community college that I teach at pays $30/hour, there is no "prep time" included. They do the advertising, I do everything else.
My thoughts are that pay should be comparable with experience and certifications, if applicable. Someone starting out with little experience and maybe only a Group Fitness Instructor Certificate & CPR card should be paid $15-20/hour. Group Fitness, CPR, 5+ yrs experience teaching, and another certification (testing not attendance) $20-30/hour. All mentioned plus a degree or a belly dance teaching certification (again tested, not just attended) $30-$60+/hr.
All of the above I am assuming that taxes,etc are being taken out and that the teacher is responsible for all aspects of teaching not advertising.
I'd like to hear some thoughts on this.

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

It's also important to remember that teaching is not a typical "hourly wage" job, even if it IS billed "per hour."
Any job that requires lots of prep (even if no advertising) AND that one cannot do 40 hours per week (which is true of this due to both physicality AND the need to drive from location to location) has different (ie higher) hourly rates than a 9-5 job.

For whatever it's worth, the franchised ballroom world is quite different. Nearly all of the teachers are full-time employees. The studios I ran in Vegas paid a base salary (roughly minimum wage) + teaching time + commissions and bonuses. The employees also had access to health insurance after having worked for 3 months.

Originally Posted by ssipes

My university's rec center will only pay dance instructors $20/hr. I screamed and yelled and wrote the administrators, and wrote all the dance instructors trying to get support to pressure for higher wages, and nothing ever happened. They offer students subsidized class rates that undercut the private market, which would actually be okay if the university was the one subsidizing, but they are not. The dance teachers are.

The situation is more or less the same at the university gym where I teach. I was told that other university students who teach rec classes make $20/hr, with no payment for prep time. I insisted on what I considered a fair rate (much, much higher!). I was lucky to be in a strong bargaining position for two reasons: 1) I was replacing another instructor and my class was, I believe, already on the advertised schedule before they actually contracted me for the position and 2) these classes are one of the bigger draws on the roster. I got the rate I wanted and have been working there since.

I agree 100% that subsidized dance classes are fine as long as the subsidy is coming out of the university's budget. It shouldn't rely on paying instructors unreasonable wages.

Originally Posted by clueless23de

My thoughts are that pay should be comparable with experience and certifications, if applicable. Someone starting out with little experience and maybe only a Group Fitness Instructor Certificate & CPR card should be paid $15-20/hour. Group Fitness, CPR, 5+ yrs experience teaching, and another certification (testing not attendance) $20-30/hour. All mentioned plus a degree or a belly dance teaching certification (again tested, not just attended) $30-$60+/hr.
All of the above I am assuming that taxes,etc are being taken out and that the teacher is responsible for all aspects of teaching not advertising.
I'd like to hear some thoughts on this.

I couldn't disagree more with the fee structure you suggest, the question of the measurable value of belly dance certifications aside. You say that this structure assumes that the instructor is responsible for all aspects of teaching. How would an instructor at the lowest rung of this payscale be able to afford class materials (e.g. music), let alone upgrades to their certification level? Based on the amount of time I spend preparing for each class, at $15-20/class I would effectively be making $5 or less/hour. From a business perspective, it would not be sensible for me to work under those circumstances. I could make better earnings mowing lawns.

My feeling is that a person is either qualified to teach or s/he isn't. While I agree that fees might increase commensurate with experience, I believe fees should start at a level that recognizes that the instructor is already fully qualified.

I think $20-30/hr is fair if all class materials, including lesson plans, are being provided to the instructor so that they don't have to invest any additional time or money towards the classes other than the hour they spend in front of the students. Otherwise, the pay rate should take into account those additional expenses.

When you say "beginning" you mean someone with little or no prior experience teaching dance? Hmmm...I agree with others that prep & other considerations need to be accounted for even with someone who is just starting out. Perhaps you consider a base rate and offer a commission per student over a certain minimum and/or a commission or bonus for students who register for more than one session with the teacher? This won't work though if you do an all-access punch card for students...