Instructor Pay & Benefits
We do our best to invest in our instructors.
Dragons has developed different types of programming: Summer, Gap Semesters, School Partnerships, College Study Abroad, Adult, and Educator. We align pay rates across our programming so that it’s fair and consistent based upon the number of days in the field, relative experience, and level of responsibility they carry on a program. Pay includes compensation for work done in preparation of the program.
First-time Dragons instructors are compensated with an entry-level salary. Instructors will be paid an increased starting salary if they have:
- An M.A. or Ph.D. in a directly relevant field
- A WFR or higher certification
- 150+ days of relative experiential education experience
- Local language fluency and 3+ years of regional experience living and working in relevant fields (cross-cultural education, development, & advocacy that can directly translate to your work in the field) related to the country in which you will work with Dragons (examples: contacts for organizations, homestays, etc)
- 4+ years prior relevant experience working in international and cross-cultural program administration with focus on curriculum development and risk management.
Each time an instructor returns to lead with Dragons, their pay level increases.
For a 30-day international summer course, instructors are paid between $1,800 and $4,750 USD. For an 80-day gap semester, instructors are paid between $3,800 and $11,000 USD. Our full pay scale is sent to applicants when they are invited to schedule a first interview.
Benefits for Staff
In addition to the above salaries, Dragons may make additional professional development resources available to contribute to an instructor’s training, such as techniques in experiential education, social justice training, etc. Instructors are offered funding to put towards a Wilderness First Aid course. Instructors get to attend an instructor orientation in advance of each summer or gap course.
With the exception of personal care and personal indulgences, Dragons covers expenses for our instructors while they’re facilitating a program, as well as expenses during instructor orientation. Dragons will also cover the cost of flights/transport to and from the location of staff training, as well as any travel that is necessary to instruct a Dragons course.
All instructors are supported by an emergency evacuation provider while instructing a course for Dragons.
