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Outdoor pursuits manager : Salary and conditions

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Case studies

  • Many people start work as a seasonal instructor at an outdoor centre or on an activity holiday. Starting salaries for instructors are around £9,000 to £10,000 per annum, rising to £18,000 with experience. (Salaries for apprentice instructors, and those working in roles that include board and accommodation, are at the lower end of the pay scale.)
  • Senior instructors can earn around £25,000, depending on the organisation and their experience and specialist skills.
  • Experienced centre managers can earn in excess of £35,000.
  • In the past, local authority (LA) centres paid higher salaries in line with qualified teacher status. Given the recent challenges to public funding, this is changing and more LA centres are being asked to be self-funded.
  • Overtime bonuses and shift allowances may apply. Accommodation and meals are often provided free.
  • Work is office-based and classroom-based, as well as outdoors.
  • Hours can be very long and irregular and include evenings, weekends and bank holidays. Due to the residential nature of the work, you often need to be available 24 hours a day, so getting away from your work is not always possible.
  • As an instructor in the early stages of your career, work is often seasonal (usually Easter to October) and many jobs are on temporary contracts. Some instructors work abroad in the winter, for example in the skiing industry.
  • Due to the seasonal nature and long hours (during the season) of the work, employers often support lengthy holidays out of season for those on permanent contracts.
  • The industry has a relatively high number of freelance instructors working for a range of different centres. Freelancers will hold relevant instructor's qualifications from the appropriate national governing body (NGB).
  • Centres are often in rural areas, which may be remote. However, opportunities also exist in urban areas in education centres.
  • The work is physically demanding, so fitness and stamina are essential. You often have to put up with discomfort, e.g. camping out, bad weather. However, many outdoor pursuits managers regard their contact with the outdoors and with clients (however minimal) as worthy compensation for their more time-consuming office-based work.
  • Having overall responsibility for the safety, discipline and well-being of both staff and guests throughout their stay can be stressful. Some centres, particularly in more remote areas, offer full residential facilities where guests will stay whilst on a course. Most centres will provide meals for the duration of the stay.
 
AGCAS
Written by AGCAS editors
Date: 
July 2011
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