Skydiving Careers

Ahhh the mystical and enthralling world of skydiving careers! Skydiving isn’t just about leaping from a plane – it’s about the journey, the community, and the lifestyle. But what if you want to take a fun hobby to the next level? How does someone go from being a first-time jumper to a seasoned pro?

Can skydiving be a profession? Absolutely, and it’s more common than you may think. We’ll walk you through the specifics of how to become a professional skydiver, the different careers in skydiving, and how to make a career out of skydiving – it could be one of the most rewarding paths you ever take!

Professional Skydiving: First Steps

How do people become skydivers? You just do it! You say yes to the challenge! Becoming a skydiving professional starts with your first jump. That’s right – the gnarliest professional skydivers all started with a life-changing skydive.

How do you become a skydiving instructor? The first step is doing a tandem skydive (inevitably loving it) and getting after your solo skydiving license. The USPA (United States Parachute Association) issues four skydiving license levels – A through D – and various ratings that skydivers can hold.

Once you achieve your license (woohoo!), the possibilities of skydiving jobs are endless!

Different Types of Jobs in Skydiving

Whether you’re teaching, performing, filming, or making the dropzone go round – skydiving offers a role for every passion. Here are some of the most popular jobs in the skydiving industry:

Videographer

Many people aspire to “shoot video” for tandem passengers! What greater joy than watching someone conquer their fears and touch the sky for the very first time?! After learning to fly their bodies alongside tandem skydivers, some jumpers decide to pivot to other disciplines of video flying. How do you think we get all those awesome shots of record-setting skydives? What about the footage that we use to judge competitions? Enter: the videographer!

Pilots

Jump pilots, diver drivers, sky captains … whatever you want to call ’em, we need ’em! Skydiving pilots have one of the most critical jobs in the industry (obviously). They have to safely ascend with multiple skydivers on board, land with the door wide open, and get the aircraft prepped to do it all again!

Management

Ground crew. The ground crew are the unsung heroes of dropzone ops. They fuel the planes, keep things tidy, communicate with pilots, help with loading the aircraft, and so much more.

Manifest. A dropzone manifest is a list of jumpers on a specific plane load … and it’s also a physical place where you go to get on said list. The manifest workers make the dropzone operate seamlessly.

Dropzone Owner (DZO). Need we say more? Without the DZO, skydiving operations would cease to exist!

Dropzone Manager (DZM). The manager is the right hand helper to the DZO, and they deal with all the mundane logistics that keep things running smoothly. But, how mundane can it really be at a skydiving center? It’s the best job in the world!

Teaching.

What is a skydiving instructor called? Well … in the world of skydiving, there are a few types of mentors. Let’s take a deeper dive!

Tandem instructor. Tandem instructors are qualified to take first-timers on their very first skydives. They are highly qualified professionals who are dedicated to allowing total novices the chance to experience the freedom of flight.

Accelerated Freefall Instructor. AFF-I’s get to help people pursuing their skydiving license take their first step, or should we say leap, into the big world of skydiving solo.

Coach. After a solo skydiving student gets a few jumps under their belt with the AFF-I, they’ll be mentored by a coach until they achieve their license. While an AFF-I teaches students how to save their own lives, coaches have the privilege of introducing students to the true fun of skydiving – jumping with other people!

Packing.

Ah, the nylon compression specialist … AKA: The Packer. Parachute packers are constantly on the mat and pack all sorts of parachute systems, including tandems! They are highly trained and operate under the supervision of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified parachute rigger.

Rigger. A parachute rigger is someone who is responsible for inspecting, maintaining, and packing reserve parachutes. They are qualified by the FAA and have extensive training. There are different types of riggers – like Senior and Master – and these titles come with extensive knowledge and skillsets. Riggers have various qualifications, like being able to make minor modifications to gear, install line sets on parachutes, and pack reserves (which need to be unpacked, inspected, and repacked every 180 days!).

Packer. Packers are your BEST FRIEND! Parachute packing is very labor intensive and takes a meticulous, detail-oriented skillset.

PRO-jumper.

The USPA PRO-rating is given to skydivers who portray a nearly unattainable level of accuracy when landing. The precision is *chefs kiss*! People with this rating are able to jump into special events with spectators present, like sporting events or festivals.

Do Skydivers Make a Lot of Money?

The term a lot is a bit subjective, no? Skydiving can be a lucrative career, but many jumpers who work in the sport choose to do so in moderation. So, can you make a living as a skydiver? Sure, but like any job, it takes sacrifice. Many dropzones are weekend-only operations, and even if they’re open weeklong, weekends are inevitably the busiest. Of course – skydiving is exceptionally rewarding – it’s a dream job! But, working in the sport takes loads of dedication in multiple aspects.

When asked how to make money as a skydiver, any avid jumper would joke back with, “Don’t jump.” Hah! Skydiving is a pricey sport to get into, but the euphoric liberation from leaving all your worries on the ground, seeing others succeed, the incredibly supportive community, and the constant growth make the upfront cost look like a tiny drop in the bucket.

Making money as a skydiver comes when you have an undeniable passion for the betterment of the sport in every way, not dollar signs in your eyes. Pick up what we’re putting down?

Who Should Make Skydiving a Career?

Anyone who is devoted to maintaining a safety-minded culture, advancing in the sport, and being an integral part of other people’s skydiving journeys is encouraged to give a skydiving career a shot!

Ready to take that first step? Book today!