Also called: Surf Coach
Teaches beginners and kids to surf at surf schools, camps and resorts, picking safe waves, coaching technique and teaching ocean safety.
Surf instructors read wave conditions, push beginners into waves, and teach safety and ocean awareness. Some run their own surf schools or camps.
Seasonal; school owners earn more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 0 years after high school. Lifeguard and surf instructor certifications.
Ways in: Certification, Self-taught. Training cost: Under $15k.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. Reading waves and pushing beginners into them is in-water coaching that stays human.
Age 16+. One way to start: If you already surf well, get CPR/first aid and a water-safety cert, then apply to surf schools First: CPR/first aid plus a lifeguard or surf coaching certificate
Classes: Physical education and swimming, Health, Earth science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 39-9032.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.