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How to Make a Living Jumping Out of Planes

Updated August 30, 2017

Ever sit next to someone on an airplane that you’d love to send hurtling to the ground miles below?

Believe it or not, there is job where people are paid to do just that. There is a downside, though. You have to strap yourself to the person and jump out of the plane with them. The good news is that you get paid for each passenger launched out of the plane, and you are given a canopy to slow your fall.

The job? Skydiving instructor!

How Much Do Skydiving Instructors Make?

I know it’s hard to believe, but skydiving instructors earn money to fall dangerously fast to the ground and teach others how to fall too. Pay can vary since work is dependent on good weather. Also, instructors are paid per jump.

According to Bankrate, instructors will earn on average between $18,000 and $30,000 per year.

What Do You Need To Become a Skydiving Instructor?

I always thought that the greatest challenge to becoming a skydiving instructor would be working up the nerve to fling yourself out of a plane two and a half miles above the ground, twelve times a day. But no, skydiving instructors also need to be well trained.

While skydiving companies may have their own qualifications for hiring skydiving instructors, the minimum, legal requirements from the FAA are that you:

Have a minimum of three years parachuting experience
Completed over 500 jumps
Are a certified parachutist with a recognized organization like USPA parachute
Finished a course from the parachute manufacturer on how to operate its tandem parachute
Received a certification from the manufacturer of the tandem parachute

Additional talents such as an ability to pull a rip cord and fall through the sky like a stone are also necessities. Luckily, the rules of gravity apply to all human beings.

How To Meet The Qualifications

I hope you like to jump out of planes because you’ll need to do a lot of skydiving to meet minimum qualifications. The good news is that there are excellent programs available to help get you started. Many skydiving schools offer courses to help you get a USPA class A license. A class A license includes a number of solo dives, hopefully successful dives and a total of 25 jumps.

Ultimately, you’ll need a class D license to become a skydiving instructor. Requirements for a class D mirror FAA regulations, which is a total of 500 rapid descents to earth.