The Wage Request Toolkit
☙ No one is you, and that is your power. ❧
~ Dave Grohl
There is this idea out there that dance teaching, or teaching in general, 'isn't about the money.'
Although there is much to love about your educator roles, if you have chosen them as your career, you rely on the income they provide for your living. Therefore, you should not be volunteering your time and expertise; your payment should reflect the importance of your work, which includes you as a valuable resource.
Those who are self-employed must view their dance teaching as a business.
I didn't start thinking of my dance teaching as a business until much later in my career. As a result, it took a long time for me to feel comfortable setting 'traditional' business world standards for myself, such as asking for and receiving regular wage increases and participating in contract negotiations.
It took me a lot of time to fully understand that asking for the correct wage that reflects my value in the role is a standard business practice.
My pay should indicate my time spent in the classroom, or office, working with an organization, and it should include all the costs deemed mandatory to my job. When considering how my work is valued, my employer (even if I am self-employed) must incorporate my education, experience, supplies, equipment, and certifications expenses. This assessment is not a greedy ploy for more money; it's standard business practice.
Asking for the correct wage is not only smart business; it is how you ensure the health of your business - you. And it gets easier with practice.
It might be helpful to look at your career as the talent and you as the talent agent: you have to look after your client, and it's your job to make sure your client gets paid fairly.
There are several reasons why you may not be receiving the appropriate compensation for your work in Dance Education:
Unsure of where to start.
Not considering the value of your experience.
Not including necessary job expenses, including time, in your fee.
Not accounting for the national raise average.
Being too 'nice.'
1) Where To Start
If you are brand new to your position or location or are employed and feel like you are ready to ask for a raise, a great place to start is researching average salaries for your role.
You can visit sites like glassdoor.ca, indeed.com, payscale.com, salary.com, salaryband.com, talent.com, workopolis.com, or ziprecruiter.com, for an idea of the average earnings of dance educators in your region.
Search using keywords like dance teacher, dance instructor, contractor, dance school administrator, office manager, or director. Also, search for the specific genres or disciplines of dance in which you wish to work.
Remember, just because a number is attached to a job posting listed online doesn't mean that's the number you should accept if offered the position. Pay negotiation is part of any job, and the more you know about yourself and the value you attach to what you offer, the easier this negotiation process becomes.
Interviews are great opportunities to discuss expectations outside the basics of your position with a potential new employer. For example, time and money spent on travel, student or parent interviews, after-class childminding, or compulsory teaching aids could make you feel like you're giving yourself away for free if not adequately addressed. If discussed upfront, wages can be requested that reflect/match the amount of expected output.
If you seek more information about materials and support required in your position, join the email list and check out Getting Started As Dance Educator, Chapter 5, "Tools of the Trade."
2) Knowledge & Experience
Take inventory of your knowledge and experience related to your role.
What formal training and how many years of practical experience do you have? What certifications do you hold? What continuing education are you pursuing that keeps your knowledge fresh and relevant.
Regularly reviewing this list is excellent for many reasons:
It is proof of the investments in your career easily translated to CVs and marketable biographies.
You can use any special accreditations or certifications in search of jobs with higher wages.
It reminds you of your interests, what gets you excited in your career, and how you like to spend your time and energy.
It may show areas in your expertise that could use more attention or support.
3) Working Costs Money
It's true; we're continuously investing in our careers with time, energy, and money. Keeping ourselves up-to-date with professional development courses, supplies for use in our classrooms, the right equipment, insurance, and even clothing adds up. Not to mention the expense of getting to work, whether by public transit or a private vehicle.
In a former teaching position, I was expected to give gifts, paid for out-of-pocket, to all my students. In addition, parent-teacher interviews were considered part of my job but required completion during hours outside of my contracted schedule.
As these financial and time expenses were deemed mandatory to my employment, they should have been calculated into my wage.
Although it takes some time and research, deciding how much you want to be compensated for a year's worth of mandatory spending in your role is an essential practice for your business.
4) Wage Raises
For employees, or those hired to an organization where the working relationship between the worker and the payer is continuous and return to work each day, week, or year is assumed, a yearly average wage increase between 2.8 - 3.5% can generally be expected.
An independent contractor is a person hired by someone or something like an organization to do a specific job within a particular time frame. For example, in the Dance Education industry, many teachers and administrators are self-employed and hired for their expertise from September to June, with contracts added or amended for summer employment.
In my opinion, the convention of yearly wage increases for independent contractors is not observed enough. For example, a contracted educator may be hired to a studio and work 10+ years without receiving any raise or review of their contract between seasons.
Break this practice and start applying a minimum raise to your teaching fee each year.
I’ve created a free interactive spreadsheet to help you ask for a fair wage and calculate your annual raises! CHECK IT OUT!
5) Nice isn't always good.
When I love and feel proud of something, it's natural for me to want to share that love and excitement with others freely. However, sometimes I find myself effortlessly giving away my life's work, in which I have invested tens of thousands of dollars and hours, for free.
What may seem like a simple act of kindness can quickly become messy and awkward if you're not careful with your boundaries and expectations.
Once established, when and how do the freebies end? When you eventually ask for compensation for your work, others may feel uncomfortable with the change, when all you wanted, in the beginning, was to do something nice for someone.
It is essential to look after your business and take responsibility for its financial health. Undercutting your fees is terrible for your business. And, sometimes, you will have to accept that there will be those who cannot afford your services.
If you decide to offer reduced fees, that is a commitment that you cannot begrudge down the line - but you can right the ship and build a healthier fee structure for future classes, sessions or seasons.
Standing by your value and how much your time is worth is not heartless or selfish. On the contrary, it shows that you respect and love yourself and your profession; you value your hard work and the clients paying for your services at full price.
I hope this helps build confidence to ask for an accurate monetary reflection of your services.
With much respect,
