Driving instructor Job Information | National Careers Service

Job profiles

Driving instructor

Hours

Variable
Starting salary

£16,000 + per year

Driving instructors teach people how to drive safely. They also help them to develop the skills they need to pass their driving test. If you love driving and like helping people develop new skills, this could be just the job you are looking for.

Driving instructors need to have patience and good people skills. They need to stay calm and give constructive advice to their pupils. They also need a good sense of humour.

Your first step to becoming an instructor is to register with the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) to train as an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI).

The work

As a driving instructor you would start by assessing a learner's driving knowledge and ability. Based on your assessment, you would then plan a series of lessons to get your pupil to a standard where they can take their driving test.

Most driving lessons follow a similar pattern. As an instructor you would teach your pupils about:

using vehicle controls with confidence
the correct approach to road safety
safe manoeuvring, turning, reversing and parking
driving laws and the Highway Code
dealing with emergency situations
basic vehicle checks.

You would normally use dual controls in the vehicle to make slight adjustments to the learner's driving. As they become more competent, you would take them on to busier roads, dual carriageways and more complex junctions like roundabouts.

As well as normal road driving, you might also give lessons in night driving, and for people who have passed their test, in motorway driving.

Once you believe that your pupil has reached the right standard, you would apply for a driving test date on their behalf. You might also cover driving theory in some detail with them, although most learners will do this in their own time.

Hours

Your working hours would have to fit around your pupils' needs, so you should be prepared to work evenings and weekends. There may be variations in the amount of lessons booked with you, particularly around Christmas or during the summer because of school holidays.

You would spend most of your time in the car, sitting in the passenger seat during lessons. Lessons typically last between one and two hours.

Income

Full-time driving instructors can earn around £16,000 in their first year.

Average earnings for established instructors are around £25,000 a year, and experienced instructors can earn over £30,000 a year.

Income is based on the cost of the driving lesson and the amount of hours worked. Lessons cost from around £15 to £27 an hour, and instructors can work up to 48 hours a week. Car maintenance and other expenses such as fuel would also have to be paid for.

Instructors working through a franchise would usually pay a weekly fee of up to £300, but be provided with a car. They would also pay for their own fuel.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

Your first step to becoming an instructor is to register with the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) to train as an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI).

To apply for registration, you must:

have held a full UK or EU driving licence for at least four years out of the last six
have not been disqualified during the last four years
complete criminal record and motoring conviction checks
pass a theory test, then two practical exams within two years of the theory test.

The Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) exams are in three parts:

a computer-based theory test
a practical test of driving skills
a practical test of teaching ability.

You must pass each part before taking the next one. You can take the theory test as many times as you need to, but there are rules about how many times you can take the practical tests.

Driving instructor courses are run by specialist training schools and by driving schools. Costs, course length, content and teaching methods will vary. A list of training providers can be found on the Official Register of Driving Instructor Training (ORDIT) on the Department for Transport website.

Official Register of Driving Instructor Training (ORDIT)

Once you have passed the first two parts of the ADI exams, you could apply to join the trainee licensing scheme (although this is not compulsory) to help you gain experience of driving instruction. The trainee licence is valid for six months and gives you the right to receive payment for driving instruction with a driving school.

When you have passed all three parts of the exams, you can join the ADI register and be given a registration certificate to display in your car.

For more information, see the Directgov Motoring and Business Link websites.

Experience in a driving job or teaching could help you find work. Many driving schools prefer job applicants to be over the age of 21 as insurance premiums are lower.

Training and development

As a qualified Approved Driving Instructor (ADI), you will have to renew your registration every four years, which includes a test of your continued ability and fitness to work as an instructor. Your name can be removed from the register if you don't meet the required standards.

Specialist driving instructors 

With further professional training you could move into specialist areas of driving instruction, such as LGVs or motorcycles. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has introduced a voluntary register of LGV instructors. For more information see the Directgov Motoring website.

Directgov Motoring

A similar register for the Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) industry is run by GoSkills, the Sector Skills Council for passenger transport. See the GoSkills website for more details.

GoSkills

The Business Link website has detailed information about becoming a certified motorcycle instructor.

Business Link

Professional qualifications 

The Driving Instructors' Association (DIA) offers various continuing professional development (CPD) schemes and qualifications. These include the Diploma in Driving Instruction and the Advanced Instructor and Examiner qualifications.

You can also find CPD information on the Business Link website.

Business Link

You could also work towards the NVQ Level 3 in Driving Instruction. The NVQ covers areas such as safe driving, monitoring driver progress and driving regulations.

Skills and knowledge

To become a driving instructor, you will need to have:

excellent driving skills, road safety knowledge and enthusiasm for driving
the ability to give clear instructions
the ability to adapt your teaching style to suit each learner
patience and good people skills
the ability to stay calm and point out mistakes in a constructive way
a sense of humour
good observational skills
the ability to react quickly and safely to any problems
a basic knowledge of car mechanics.

More information

People 1st (Opens new window)
2nd Floor
Armstrong House
38 Market Square
Uxbridge
Middlesex
UB8 1LH
Tel: 01895 817 000
www.people1st.co.uk

Driving Instructors Association (Opens new window)
Leon House
233 High Street
Croydon
CR0 9XT
Tel: 020 8686 8010
www.driving.org

Opportunities

You could start work with a franchised driving school and eventually move into self-employment. Competition can be very strong as there are no restrictions on how many instructors can operate in an area.

As an experienced instructor, you could specialise in particular areas of driving. This includes advanced or high-performance driving, disabled drivers' instruction, passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) instruction and large goods vehicle (LGV) driver training.

You could also become a senior instructor or a driving school manager. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) occasionally recruits experienced driving instructors as driving examiners.

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.

Related industry information

Industry summary

The driver training industry is represented by People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism. The passenger transport sector incorporates rail, aviation, bus and coach, taxi and private hire, light rail and metro, driver training, and UK waterways. The sector accounts for 735,000 jobs, most of which are within the bus and coach, taxi and private hire, rail, and aviation industries. The passenger transport sector includes a wide variety of roles, from pilots and transport planners, to essential support roles in finance, marketing and human resources.

The driver training industry comprises people who provide any form of driver instruction, including learner drivers and those learning to drive buses, coaches and large goods vehicles. Other driver trainers teach specialist skills, such as advanced driving or emergency response driving. The industry also incorporates driving examiners.

Key facts:

There are almost 43,000 people working in the driver training industry.
The industry is made‐up of a large number of sole operators and self‐employed workers (more than 75%).
The average age of employees is 47 years.
Due to experience and licensing requirements, only 2% of driver trainers are under the age of 25 years.
There are limited opportunities for progression within the industry.
The average number of working hours is 37 per week, but this variable for sole traders.

Jobs in the industry include: driving instructor, advanced driving instructor, driving examiner, motorcycle instructor, specialist skills trainer.

National and regional data

[N.B. Regional data presented are for the driver training industry and the passenger transport sector as a whole. Data derived from the Labour Force Survey, 2007.]

East Midlands – There are 4,400 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 14% of the workforce in the region is female. 14% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 62% is 26‐49 years and 32% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; Welsh language; job related IT; and safety/accident management.

East of England – There are 6,600 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 25% of the workforce in the region is female. 9% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 7% of the workforce is under 25 years, 52% is 26‐49 years and 41% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; job related IT; Welsh language; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.

London – There are 4,200 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 20% of the workforce in the region is female. 42% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 4% of the workforce is under 25 years, 70% is 26‐49 years and 26% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; foreign languages; safety/accident management; booking operations; and logistics and scheduling of services.

North East – There are 1,100 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 17% of the workforce in the region is female. 3% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 51% is 26‐49 years and 41% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; Welsh language; and safety/accident management.

North West – There are 4,200 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 16% of the workforce in the region is female. 14% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 61% is 26‐49 years and 33% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; disability awareness; Welsh language; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.

South East – There are 4,900 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 25% of the workforce in the region is female. 11% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 6% of the workforce is under 25 years, 48% is 26‐49 years and 36% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; and job related IT.

South West – There are 3,400 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 19% of the workforce in the region is female. 4% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 4% of the workforce is under 25 years, 56% is 26‐49 years and 40% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; job related IT; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.

West Midlands – There are 4,400 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 19% of the workforce in the region is female. 27% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 7% of the workforce is under 25 years, 65% is 26‐49 years and 28% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: job related IT; safety/accident management; foreign languages; maths/working with numbers; and disability awareness.

Yorkshire and the Humber – There are 4,000 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 13% of the workforce in the region is female. 18% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 62% is 26‐49 years and 30% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; job related IT; and Welsh language.

Northern Ireland – There are 900 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 21% of the workforce in the region is female. Data are unavailable on the ethnicity of the workforce. 9% of the workforce is under 25 years, 74% is 26‐49 years and 17% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; safety/accident management; job related IT; and disability awareness.

Scotland – There are 2,300 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 16% of the workforce in the region is female. 2% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 56% is 26‐49 years and 36% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: foreign languages; vehicle maintenance and engineering; and disability awareness.

Wales – There are 2,300 people working in the driver training industry in the region. In the passenger transport sector as whole, 18% of the workforce in the region is female. 4% of the workforce is from an ethnic minority background. 8% of the workforce is under 25 years, 54% is 26‐49 years and 38% is 50 years or older. Skill gaps include: Welsh language; foreign languages; disability awareness; safety/accident management; job related IT; and vehicle maintenance and engineering.