How to Become a Certified CPR Instructor: CPR Instructor Courses

Certified CPR instructors are trained professionals who teach others how to perform CPR. CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This is a procedure that involves a series of chest compressions as well as mouth-to-mouth breathing.

When someone’s heart stops beating or they stop breathing, an ordinary person without medical training may perform CPR until medical professionals arrive on the scene. This is a valuable and vital life-saving skill for many people to learn.

What do CPR instructors do?

CPR instructors have the following responsibilities:

• Demonstrating CPR techniques on a mannequin
• Guiding students through the steps of the procedure
• Evaluating student performance
• Developing a training program and providing learning materials
• Certifying students upon completion of training

This goes to show that in addition to knowing how to perform proper and safe CPR, a CPR instructor must also be an adept educator and communicator.

Types of CPR courses you can teach

Before you dive into a CPR instructor side hustle, it’s a good idea to spend some time reviewing the different types of courses you can take and teach.

Here are some of the more common CPR courses:

• First aid
• CPR
• Automated external defibrillator (AED)
• Basic life support (BLS)
• Advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS)
• Pediatric advanced life support (PALS)

First aid, CPR, and AED are usually the core requirements for CPR instructors. If you’re currently working as a healthcare professional (like a nurse or EMT) or want to teach medical professionals, the BLS instructor certification pathway is the one to choose.

Specializations

If you have a more specialized field you’d like to enter, you’ll need additional instructor training. Here are some specialties you could pursue when getting certified as a CPR instructor:

• Child and babysitting safety
• CPR/AED for professional rescuers
• Emergency medical response
• Lifeguarding
• Swim lessons
• Water safety
• Wilderness first aid

Another option is to become a CPR instructor trainer. These are the professionals that teach and certify aspiring CPR instructors.

Unlike the case in other life-saving professions, a CPR instructor does not need a background in health care or any formal medical education. Certification is required, but it’s usually completed over a short period of time through a series of online and in-person classes.

In terms of what you need to start your CPR instructor training, the requirements differ slightly from organization to organization. After you choose the CPR organization you want to get certified by, research their requirements.

There’s usually a minimum age requirement of 16 or 18 years old. Some organizations also want instructors to have a high school diploma or GED. In all cases, you will need to be certified in the type of CPR you want to teach before you can begin the process of becoming an instructor.

Getting certified to teach CPR is a more involved process than the initial CPR certification process, but it’s still pretty straightforward. You only have to complete a few simple steps to become a certified CPR instructor:

1. Choose a CPR organization: Before you begin any training toward your CPR instructor certificate, you need to choose a CPR organization to affiliate yourself with.
2. Become CPR certified: In order to teach a CPR or other life-saving course, you have to first get certified in it. If you are already CPR certified with a different organization than the one you want to train with, you’ll need to retake the course with an approved provider.
3. Complete an online instructor training course: While you could Google “cpr instructor classes near me,” each of the CPR-certifying organizations has their own approved list of providers and online CPR instructor training courses.
4. Undergo in-person training: You’ll either need to do a certain amount of monitored teaching or you’ll need to complete an in-person skills session. You won’t be able to sign up for this portion of your training until you’ve completed the regular instructor education.
5. Register to receive your CPR trainer certification: Once you’ve satisfied your course requirements and demonstrated your abilities to an instructor trainer, you can apply for a CPR instructor certification through your organization’s website.

Once you’ve signed up for a CPR instructor program, you’ll receive the curriculum and materials for your online and in-person coursework. In addition to learning how to teach the CPR procedure, you’ll also learn how to teach. This includes understanding different teaching styles, managing paperwork, issuing certificates, and so on.

Most CPR instructors receive their training and certification from one of three organizations. We’ll explain the CPR instructor training and certification process with each of these organizations so you can decide which one is right for you.

American Heart Association (AHA)

In order to become an AHA CPR instructor, there’s a certain process to follow:

1. Apply to an authorized AHA training center: You need to be accepted by an approved AHA training center (TC) before you do anything else.
2. Choose from one of the instructor disciplines available: The AHA’s options for CPR instruction include Heartsaver and BLS classes.
3. Complete an online and in-person course: Complete the corresponding AHA instructor course online and in person.
4. Teach a CPR class under supervision: Finally you need to undergo monitored, hands-on teaching. You need to complete this step within 6 months of completing your training.
5. Register with the AHA: To become a fully approved American Heart Association CPR instructor, you should align yourself with your AHA training center, at which point you’ll receive an Instructor eCard.

You need to be at least 18 years old to be an AHA instructor. Individual training centers set their own fees for CPR instructor classes.

There are benefits to becoming an AHA instructor. First is that the AHA is well recognized, and many hiring organizations are looking for AHA-certified instructors. You’ll also have access to all kinds of resources to help you connect with new students.

American Red Cross (ARC)

The ARC is another reputable CPR-certifying organization, and it should be easy to find gigs and students with this certification in hand. In order to become an ARC CPR instructor, you’ll need to follow a similar process:

1. Complete an online instructor development course: After you sign up, complete the ARC Instructor Course, which covers First Aid, CPR, and AED.
2. Attend an in-person skills session: During this lesson, you’ll learn hands-on techniques and be monitored by a trainer.
3. Register with a training provider: Before you can be certified by the ARC to teach CPR, you’ll need to affiliate yourself with a Red Cross training provider and agree to teach classes and issue certificates for them. The alternative is to become a provider yourself.

You must be at least 16 years old to become a Red Cross CPR instructor. Their First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor training program costs $350.

Health and Safety Institute (HSI)

You don’t seem to need to jump through as many hoops to become an HSI CPR instructor. While this might limit what sorts of jobs or employers you can apply to, it is a viable pathway if you want to start your own CPR business.

Here’s what you’ll be required to do:

1. Complete an online course: First, you need to sign up for the HSI Instructor Development Course (IDC), which is an online training program.
2. Complete an in-person class: Next, you’ll need to complete an 8-hour instructor-led course in person.

If you’d like, you can take additional courses. For instance, if you’re interested in teaching CPR to professionals, you’ll have to complete the BLS instructor course. That said, the CPR IDC is enough to get you certified and ready to teach. The CPR instructor course fees start at $415.

Once you are a certified instructor, you can start teaching classes. There are a few different ways to make money as a CPR instructor.

Option 1: Teach at your current place of employment

You may be looking into CPR instruction because your employer has asked you to. This happens in places that frequently train staff in CPR, such as aquatic centers, healthcare settings, and educational settings.

If your workplace has rigorous health and safety standards, your employer might also be looking to have an on-site CPR instructor to ensure staff remain trained, certified, and compliant. This is one of the easier ways to find work teaching CPR.

Option 2: Work at a CPR training center

Another way to be employed and paid as a CPR instructor is to work at a CPR training center. This is a great way to start a CPR side hustle since this type of job allows you to work flexible shifts here and there as a part-time CPR instructor.

If you’re an AHA instructor, then you already have a training center that you’re affiliated with. You can start there or look for an AHA-approved organization to work for. If you’re an ARC or HSI instructor, then you have the ability to search for independent training organizations or emergency services organizations in need of instructors.

Option 3: Start a CPR business

The last option is to start your own CPR company. Here are examples of different ways you can teach CPR independently:

• Rent or buy space and open a CPR training center
• Teach CPR from your home
• Start a mobile CPR business and travel around to where you’re needed

Working as an independent instructor has its benefits. For starters, you get to set your own rates and make your own schedule. You can even customize your work setting. You also have more flexibility in terms of where you teach. So you might find gigs or ongoing work at places like swimming pools, daycare centers, or big corporations.

Nevertheless, starting your own business does come with its own set of drawbacks. First of all, costs are going to be much higher. Even if you don’t have to rent or buy a classroom space, you have to purchase a business license, liability insurance, and all of your own training equipment.

You also have to do your own marketing, sales, and administration. All of this takes time and money. But if you’re willing to take on CPR instruction as your full-time gig, then offering your own training services could be a worthwhile venture.

CPR instruction is an interesting field. You’re essentially helping to save lives every day, yet no formal medical education or healthcare experience is needed. Teaching CPR can be an excellent side hustle for people who work in caregiving or medical settings or those who want an easy but meaningful side gig.

One of the biggest advantages is how simple and easy it is to get started. CPR instructors don’t require much training, and you can start a CPR teaching side hustle pretty quickly. It’s also a gig with fairly flexible working hours. Overall, it’s not a huge commitment.

However, not everyone is cut out for it. If you’ve struggled with completing your own CPR training, CPR instruction might not be the right fit. You also need to feel comfortable in group settings and have patience and empathy to excel as a CPR trainer. If you’re in healthcare and looking for other flexible opportunities, consider exploring side jobs for nurses.

Pros and cons of teaching CPR

Here’s a general rundown of the pros and cons of working as a CPR instructor.

How much do CPR instructors make?

According to average salary data across the web, CPR instructors in the United States generally make somewhere in the range of $25–$50 per hour. This is a fairly broad earnings range, and your actual take-home pay depends on a variety of factors.

These factors can influence what you can charge students and make as a CPR instructor:

• The state and city you live in
• Type of employment
• Number of students per class
• CPR training for bystanders vs. professionals
• Other types of classes offered

You can increase your earnings by working as an independent CPR instructor or by registering with multiple CPR organizations to broaden your job prospects.

How much does it cost to become a CPR instructor?

You can’t become a CPR teacher for free, but the costs involved in getting qualified to teach CPR are fairly minimal. All you really need to pay is the fee for your CPR instructor course. These courses typically cost somewhere in the range of $350–$415.

If you decide to become an independent CPR instructor and start your own business, then you’ll face other costs as well. For example, you’ll need to purchase liability insurance and likely pay for a business license.

You’ll also need to factor in other business expenses, such as costs related to payment processing, setting up a business website, and supplying the necessary materials and equipment for your CPR classes.

How long does it take to become a CPR instructor?

If you are already CPR certified, you can complete the training requirements to become a certified CPR instructor in as little as 2 days. If you have no CPR knowledge whatsoever, you’ll need to get CPR certified first, which you can do in just 1–2 days.

You may need to undergo supervised teaching before you can get your CPR teacher certification, which you’ll need to schedule in advance. Overall, the time commitment for becoming a CPR instructor is just 2–5 days.