Therapeutic riding instructors earn an average salary ranging from $23,000 to $70,000. This amount will increase depending upon the education, certifications, or other skills you hold.
Becoming a therapeutic riding instructor is a rewarding career but it isn’t a lucrative one. You’ll likely be working for nonprofits to assist with their equine-assisted therapy programs. A therapeutic riding instructor will need to secure a certification through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH) with presents an upfront cost and barrier to entering this career.
Answer the question ‘How much does a therapeutic riding instructor make?’ in this guide to salaries for therapeutic riding instructors.
Therapeutic Riding Instructor Salary
Therapeutic riding instructors make an average of $43,000 annually. This is roughly $21 per hour.
The high-end salaries for therapeutic riding instructors are $70,000 per year or $33 per hour.
The low-end salaries for therapeutic riding instructors average in at $23,000 per year or $11 per hour.
Therapeutic riding is not a career you’re going to be making the big bucks in. There are few places hiring at any one time and the pay is average. In a dual-income household, it can be possible to make this your full-time career but for many, their therapeutic riding instructor career will need to be supplemented with an additional job.
How Are Therapeutic Riding Instructors Paid?
Therapeutic riding instructors are paid either salary or hourly. Most often these positions are part-time and hourly, preventing many from getting the benefits they need to make this their sole income source.
Who Hires Therapeutic Riding Instructors?
Therapeutic riding centers hire therapeutic riding instructors. Most therapeutic riding centers are nonprofit organizations and many are accredited through PATH International.