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The ongoing pandemic has seen a rise in the number of deliveries we receive nowadays – from parcels to takeaway food. If you’re experiencing a change in career, or have been recently been made redundant, and you know how to drive, then you may be considering becoming a delivery driver as an option.
However, did you know that your driving experience could be put to good use elsewhere, by teaching others how to drive? Becoming a driving instructor is a lucrative opportunity, and although it requires a bit more knowledge, there are more benefits to this career compared to that of a delivery driver. Read on to learn about how much you could earn as a driving instructor vs. delivery driver.
Being Your Own Boss
Although it may seem like a flexible job, being a delivery driver actually means you are just a number in a huge corporation. When you become a driving instructor, you are valued as a person, and have the opportunity to become your own boss. It’s not like any another job, but a life-long vocation that provides you with plenty of flexibility in your personal vs. professional life, growth and development. You are in control of your career, the hours you work, and when you take your holiday. This means that you can work around your lifestyle and important events.
It is also a very satisfying job compared to a deliver driver, as you get to empower learners with a life skill, and feel the sense of achievement from seeing a pupil progress, and go on to pass their test.
Supply and Demand
The delivery industry is actually becoming a saturated market, as more and more of the public turn to the delivery option for their food and products. This has increased the interest of being delivery driver as potential job, so you may be one of many applying for a single position.
However, the driving school industry has seen a significant drop in the number of qualified driving instructors over the past seven years. Whilst the demand for driving lessons in the UK has continuously risen. This means you could be the one to meet this demand, with training to be a driving instructor, the next step in your career. According to a report from an insurance company, there has been a backlog of around 400,000 cancelled tests due to the pandemic, as well as a boom in the number of potential learners turning 17, from now until 2025. The COVID-19 crisis has also been a deterrent from public transport, encouraging people to take transportation into their own hands and learn how to drive.
So, there is no time like the present to grasp this great opportunity and reap the benefits from the need for more driving lessons, and consequently more drivers.
Increase Your Earnings
According to the careers site Indeed, the average salary for a delivery driver is £9.32 per hour, in England, although this varies between companies as well as locations across the country, with some roles being paid significantly lower.
Comparing this to a fully qualified driving instructor, you could be earning between £35,000 – £40,000 per year based on 40 hours a week. Plus, with the flexibility and earning potential that comes with being a driving instructor, you could see yourself earning at the higher end of that range with the more lessons you teach and the best teaching methodology.
A Job For a Post-Coronavirus World
With the news of a vaccine and the hope to return to a sense of normality, there may be a decline in the number of deliveries that people order, as restrictions lift and shops re-open. In a post-COVID world, we may no longer see a need for a huge amount of delivery drivers.
However, these jobs are in-demand during COVID. As the world recovers, there will be a return to driving schools for pupils, with an increased number of students, a backlog of lessons and practical tests, and the increasing need for more driving instructors. There is also the fact, that as people unfortunately have faced redundancy due to the pandemic, they are looking for ways to improve their entry level jobs prospects, which includes holding a driver’s license. Training now could mean you are ready for when this high demand occurs, as there will be a rising need for more driving instructors.
