Swimming teacher
Also known as; Swim teacher, swimming instructor, swimming coach, head swimming coach
The role of the swimming is to plan, deliver and evaluate a series of swimming lessons providing a safe learning environment.
What could I earn as a Swimming teacher?
Your earnings will depend on the hours you work, your location, level of experience and whether you are employed or self-employed. To give you an idea, the data presented reflects the earnings listed in job advertisements across the UK from January to December 2024, as gathered via Lightcast (March 2025). Average annual earnings reflect full-time roles (>32hours/week), however average hourly earnings are a reflection of data collected from full-time, part-time and flexible hours vacancies.
Average UK earnings
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Avg. hourly earnings
total job postings
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83% of swimming teachers job adverts are hiring for part time positions.
What does a Swimming teacher do?
Swimming teachers plan, deliver and evaluate a series of swimming lessons while providing a safe learning environment. Through their engaging, fun and safe delivery of activities, swimming teachers will be able to develop water confidence, safety and technical skills for a range of participants from non-swimmers to those with advanced skills.
In addition, swimming teachers provide learners with core aquatic skills and a range of pathways for continuous development while promoting awareness of swimming opportunities. Swimming teachers must also be able to supervise and lead assistant swimming teachers and provide high levels of customer care and engagement.
Skills and behaviours
The following common or transferable skills are most frequently asked for by employers in swimming teacher job adverts across the UK:
| Skills and behaviours | % Prevalence in job ads |
|---|---|
| Teaching | 72% |
| Communication | 26% |
| Enthusiasm | 26% |
| Swimming | 24% |
| Customer Service | 20% |
| Coaching | 18% |
| Relationship Building | 16% |
| Training And Development | 13% |
| Management | 11% |
| Patience | 8% |
To find out more about the minimum knowledge, skills and behaviours an individual must understand and demonstrate to become a swimming teacher, you can visit our occupational professional standards library.
How to become a Swimming teacher
There are several ways you can become qualified as an assistant swimming teacher. Look at the options below to explore what option works best for you.
Complete a qualification with a training provider
There are several options of qualifications you can complete to become a swimming teacher such as:
- STA Level 2 Award in Teaching Swimming
- STA Level 2 Certificate in Teaching Swimming
- Swim England Qualifications Level 2 Teaching Swimming
- Professional Development Award Swimming Teaching (SCQF level 7)
You can browse all CIMSPA-endorsed swimming teacher qualifications on our Training Directory.
Course entry requirements, delivery and cost
Some Level 2 Teaching Swimming qualification courses will require you to hold a Level 1 Swimming Teacher qualification before you can start the course. You can check specific entry requirements with your chosen training provider.
Swimming teacher courses are delivered in person or via a hybrid delivery format (online or in person). The total course cost, study time and guided learning hours will vary depending on the delivery format, qualification and training provider you choose.
College or university
Some colleges have embedded swimming teacher qualifications into their learning programmes.
In the CIMSPA Endorsed Training Directory, you can also check what courses our endorsed colleges and universities offer as well as course entry requirements, a summary of course content/material, as well as more information on how to apply.
Apprenticeship
The Leisure Team Member apprenticeship offers options to become qualified not only as a swimming teacher, but as a gym instructor, pool lifeguard and first aider. You can find out more about completing a Leisure Team Member apprenticeship in via The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) website.
Professional Standards
CIMSPA is the guardian of a single professional and apprenticeship standards framework for the sport and physical activity sector – outlining the minimum knowledge, skills and behaviours an individual must understand and demonstrate for every occupation and job role in the sector.
This standards framework is driving the development of quality education products for our workforce and supporting employers in assessing which job roles an individual is qualified for.
Swimming teacher Courses and qualifications
Swim England Qualifications Level 2 Teaching Swimming (603/2574/4)
Swim England Qualifications Level 2 Teaching Swimming
What's the best role for you?
Career paths and progression
Career pathways
Side Steps
Next Steps
Aspirational Steps
Career progression
As well as exploring new career pathways, as a swimming teacher, you can also choose to progress your career by completing further training or continued professional development (CPD) in your role. This training can be added to enable swimming teachers to show their expertise in additional populations, in different environments and with technical specialisms.
Examples of specialisms that may be added are:
- Working with disabled people
- Working with ante/postnatal populations
- Working with adults
- Working with early years (under 4 years old)
Continuing Professional Development
Swim England Qualifications Level 2 Teaching Swimming (603/2574/4)
Swim England Qualifications Level 2 Teaching Swimming
Find a job as a Swimming teacher
The content of the job posts displayed on the CIMSPA jobs board are pulled in through feeds from websites which are not under the control of CIMSPA.
CIMSPA will not be liable for any false, inaccurate, inappropriate or incomplete information presented on the jobs board.