Swim Instructor Jobs in Philadelphia, PA
Teach private swim lessons at family pools around Philadelphia, on the days you choose. Families book through InstaSwim; you see each offer and accept the ones that fit.
About 5 minutes to apply. Our team reviews every application.
Families around Philadelphia are booking.
Live numbers from InstaSwim sign-ups within 30 miles of Philadelphia, refreshed every day.
When Philadelphia families book
InstaSwim bookings, last 12 monthsWhat families around Philadelphia ask for.
Swimmers in InstaSwim sign-ups within 30 miles over the last 12 months. You choose the ages you teach.
Mommy & Me with a parent in the water, and first lessons
Floating, kicking, first strokes and water comfort
Stroke work, fitness and confidence in deep water
First floats to lap swimming, often nervous beginners
Booked most: 30 minute lessons (45% of families). You choose which lesson lengths you offer.
From application to your first family.
- 1
Apply online
Your swim background, any certifications and where you live. No minimum years of experience.
- 2
Application review
Our team reads every application. Not every application moves forward.
- 3
Onboarding
Contractor agreement, background check, safety and conduct training, liability coverage, CPR and First Aid on file.
- 4
Teach and get paid
Accept offers near Philadelphia, teach, send a short lesson briefing, get paid by PayPal.
Strong swimmers from all kinds of backgrounds.
A few of the backgrounds instructors bring. You do not need any of them to apply: strong swimming and patience come first.
College swimmers
Teach between classes and through summer break, close to campus or home.
Coaches and lifeguards
Add private lessons on the days you are not on deck.
Teachers and school staff
Afternoons and summers free line up with when families book most.
Former competitive swimmers
Put years in the water to work, one swimmer at a time.
What to know before you teach here.
Families around Philadelphia tend to book private swim lessons from April through July, getting set before and during the outdoor season at a home, building, condo or HOA pool they arrange.
Pools the family arranges
Private lessons around Philadelphia happen at a pool the family sets up, such as a backyard pool, an apartment building pool, a condo pool or an HOA pool. You meet the swimmer where they already have water to use, so each offer comes with its own pool and its own setting to work in.
Spring planning into summer swimming
Outdoor pools generally run through the summer, and families start reaching out in spring, before the water is ready. Lessons often begin as pools open and carry on through the warm months, with skills built over a series of visits at the same pool.
Southeast of King of Prussia
Philadelphia sits in Philadelphia County, southeast of King of Prussia. Nearby InstaSwim towns include Cherry Hill (7 mi), Woodbury (8 mi), Haddonfield (8 mi), Gladwyne (8 mi), Maple Shade (9 mi), Cinnaminson (10 mi), Villanova (11 mi) and Media (12 mi). You set your own travel radius and choose which offers fit it.
Pennsylvania home pool barriers
Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code calls for a barrier at least 48 inches high around outdoor home pools and spas, with no more than 2 inches between the ground and the bottom, plus self-closing, self-latching gates. Local building offices handle permits and enforcement, so families check with their own office.
Local details checked October 2026See sources
- Township Pool · Upper Merion Township
- Pool Information · Lower Merion Township
- Community Pool · Lower Merion School District
- Rivers and Streams, Valley Forge National Historical Park · National Park Service
Open to apply. Ready before your first lesson.
To apply
- Strong swimming ability and confidence teaching in the water.
- At least 18 years old.
- Reliable transportation to lesson locations. A driver's license is not required.
- Patience and clear communication with swimmers and their families.
Before your first lesson
- Sign the contractor agreement and complete safety and conduct training.
- Pass a background check. The cost is included with coverage enrollment.
- Enroll in the group liability coverage program. Active coverage is required before you teach.
- CPR and First Aid on file. You can apply without it and get it during onboarding.
Teach in Philadelphia.
Get paid lesson by lesson.
File your lesson briefing after each lesson; payouts go out by PayPal, typically within 24 hours of approval. Base pay runs $25 to $80 per lesson, and boosted offers add up to $25 more, stated in writing before you accept. Every card here is a real lesson paid out to an instructor near Philadelphia last season.
- Kursten G.$45.00 · 60 min · Paid
- Kursten G.$45.00 · 60 min · Paid
- Hannah P.$40.00 · 45 min · Paid
- Hannah P.$40.00 · 45 min · Paid
- Kursten G.$40.00 · 60 min · Paid
- Curtis D.$30.00 · 30 min · Paid
- Curtis D.$30.00 · 30 min · Paid
- Hannah P.$45.00 · 60 min · Paid
- Curtis D.$30.00 · 30 min · Paid
- Kursten G.$37.00 · 45 min · Paid
- Hannah P.$40.00 · 45 min · Paid
- Curtis D.$30.00 · 30 min · Paid
Real lessons paid out April 1 to August 31, 2026, to instructors within 30 miles of Philadelphia. Past payouts, not a promise of future pay.
Teaching swim lessons in Philadelphia.
Contract details are in the Independent Contractor Agreement you sign during onboarding.
Is this a job with InstaSwim?
No. InstaSwim is a marketplace, not an employer. Instructors are 1099 independent contractors who run their own swim instruction businesses and choose which families they accept.
How much do instructors earn?
Current minimum base rates are $25 per 30 minute lesson, $32 per 45 minute lesson, $40 per 60 minute lesson, $65 per 90 minute lesson and $80 per 2 hour lesson. Many offers include up to $25 more per lesson (for example, up to $65 for a 60 minute lesson), always stated in writing before you accept. Rates are per lesson, not per student, and income is not guaranteed.
Are families booking swim lessons near Philadelphia?
Yes. 90+ families within 30 miles of Philadelphia signed up for lessons through InstaSwim in the last 12 months, and 68 families had no instructor nearby. Demand changes with the season, so offers are not guaranteed.
How and when do I get paid?
After each lesson you send a short lesson briefing. Once it is approved, your payout is typically issued within 24 hours, by PayPal.
How do lesson offers work?
When a family in reach books, InstaSwim sends a lesson offer to instructors nearby. Each offer shows the swimmers' ages, the lesson length, the general area and the pay per lesson, and you accept only the ones that fit your schedule.
Where do lessons in Philadelphia take place?
At pools families arrange around Philadelphia: backyard pools, and building, condo and HOA pools where the rules allow an instructor. InstaSwim does not own or provide pools.
When is high school swim season for teens around Philadelphia?
High school swimming and diving in Pennsylvania is a winter sport run by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. School meets run from about December into February, and the state championships are in mid-March. Teen swimmers working on strokes or starts may look for private lessons outside that stretch, when their school schedule allows.
Can I choose which Philadelphia lesson offers to accept?
Yes. As an independent contractor working around Philadelphia, you decide which offers to take based on the pool location, the swimmer and your own schedule. Each family arranges the pool, and you can pass on any offer that does not suit you.
Do I need my own pool to teach?
No. Lessons happen at a pool the family arranges. If you have a pool and permission to teach there, you can note it on your profile, since some families ask for an instructor with a pool.
Can I choose the ages and lesson lengths I teach?
Yes. You list the ages you teach and the lesson lengths you offer, set your travel radius, and accept only the offers that fit.
Do I need a car?
You need reliable transportation; a driver's license is not required. You set your own travel radius and only see offers inside it.
Do I need CPR or First Aid to apply?
Not to apply. It must be on file before your first lesson, and you can get it during onboarding.
Do I need liability coverage?
Yes. Active coverage through the group liability program is required before you teach. You enroll during onboarding, and the background check cost is included with enrollment.
Can I keep my own clients?
Yes. The platform is non-exclusive. Families matched through InstaSwim stay on the platform, per the contractor agreement.
Swim instructor jobs near Philadelphia
Where Philadelphia families book.
The pages families in Philadelphia use to sign up for the lessons you would teach.
Teach swimming in Philadelphia, on your schedule.
About 5 minutes to apply. Our team reviews every application; not every application moves forward.
InstaSwim is an online marketplace that connects families with independent swim instructors. InstaSwim does not employ, supervise, or direct instructors and does not provide swim instruction. Acceptance to the platform is an administrative decision at InstaSwim's discretion and is not a certification or endorsement. InstaSwim does not guarantee any number of client offers, lessons, or earnings; demand varies by location and season.