How much is my monthly wage?

How long is a piece of string? There are many variables that will affect both your work and your subsequent wage, such as snow conditions during the season, the economic climate, how mature and diligent you are as a worker, what qualification you hold and which ski school you work for.

IN AUSTRIA ,the contract you have will give you a standard monthly wage for Anwärter of €1.000 – €1.200 and with tax, health care, pension contributions deducted you may have cash in your hand of €700 – €1.000 per month. You will be taxed in Austria but you may apply to have that tax refunded if you did not exceed the tax band in your own country. We have had course participants make as much as €1.250 per month and as little as nothing when in a given month they were unemployable due to injury or finding themselves so low on the priority work list due to bad time keeping or poor work ethic that the ski school avoided using them. The ski schools will always favour instructors who are motivated and professional and avoid using poor workers except for very busy periods when they are desperate for staff.

IN JAPAN, the ski schools pay really well, with our students reporting to earn between €1.800 and €2.500 per month (236,000 Yen – 328,000 Yen) also providing your lift pass and heavily subsidised accommodation and often meals too. The season in Japan is shorter, running mainly from December until March so you would normally be busy for the most part. Flights to Japan are not included in your course but can be picked up from as little as €400 return using our partner programme travel, easily made back up with the increased wages.

IN CANADA, ski schools will pay you by the hour with additional bonuses for re-booking guests and bringing in new guests. A level 1 instructor (CSIA L1) will earn approx. CAD$14 per hour, whereas a level 2 instructor (CSIA L2) will earn approx. CAD$17 per hour. As with all ski schools, the higher qualified you are, the more money you get paid.

Remember, what may be a gap year or season of fun for you is a professional business for your employer.