Hi everyone,
I don't know if this is a pc question but does anybody know about how much Wilton instructors get paid at these local craft shops?
My mother-in-law noticed that our Michaels always seems to be looking for someone to teach. I'm starting college in about a week (I've been out of it for about 15 years so this is quite a feat for me) and I don't know if it'll be too crazy or worth it to do this.
I know it will vary from region to region but I was just curious.
Jenn

It may vary from store-to-store but here was what was sent to me....

4-6 students $120
7-9 students-$150
10 students - $160
11 students - $170
12 students - $180
13 students $195
14 students $210
15 students $225

Minimum students for a class to be held is 4. Maximum suggested per class 15.

This is the prices sent to me but I will be working at Hobby Lobby. I'm not sure if Michael's has the same payment method with Wilton. HTH

I am in a Wilton class right now and the instructor said they were looking for teachers. The pay she said was $20.00/hr. This was at Micheal's and I live in New Jersey. Hope this helps.

Same here in TN, I will be working at Jo Ann's and it goes by the number of students like ntertanyneme stated. I can't wait to get started. It is a little bit of a drive to where I will be teaching but worth it!

You also get 40% off of the yearbook stuff and I get a discount on anything at Jo Ann's.

Don't really think it will matter how much I make....I'll be spending most of it on supplies

they really need to pay better than that! but i heard that they dont pay well, but you get a discount on wilton products that you order from wilton.
i get 40% off coupons from miceals and joannes so that doesnt apeal to me at all.
melody

Michaels pricing is different. You get paid per student the first night of class. Michaels has changed their rules and you can teach as few as one in a course.

1-6 students is $120
8-10 students is $160
After ten it keeps going up but I can't remember off the top of my head what it is. I know the max 15 pays $240

This is a part time job and unless you can get large classes in the store or have more courses run a month it isn't enough money to live off of alone. It's also one of those things where you may have two courses one month, three the next, then down to one a month later. So you never know until the first week of the month how much you will make that month.

Now as I part time job I think it's great (I'm a Michaels WMI by the way). You are suppose to be there 30 mins before the class, 2 hour class, then stay 30 mins after. Most nights I am not there the full three hours, but if you were with a small class it averges $10 an hour or $30 a night. If you have three courses going it will be $90 a week (for small classes). Of course if you have 8 or more you make more.

You are suppose to offer atleast two courses a month. Course 1 is a must every month, then they want you to offer a course 2 or course 3 as well. Of course you can off all three of them every month.

You get a 25% discount from Michaels. And a 40% off discount from Wilton (when you order directly from them.)

Please note that at Michaels you are also required to do Class Preview Demos. These are scheduled 4/5 times a year, and are held on Saturday afternoons. It is a must do thing. All the Instructors are required to be there, and you each sit at the front of the store and demo your classes. You get paid $50 for 3 hours of demo.

Do keep in mind though that there are some other things to keep in mind when considering this. There is some expense to it. Every Course one you are required to make a cake and make icing. All of this comes out of your pocket. In Course Two you make Royal Icing. And the things you use during the Demo's are also from your pocket.

You just have to decide if the pros outweight the cons for you.

I love doing it. I love sharing my cake knowledge with other people and helping others learn how to make pretty cakes.

You didn't mention all the prep work that you have to do at home!

Making icing, baking cakes...washing and packing your equipment.

I got tired of my students NOT making the right consistency icing...so I used to take my mixer and supplies to the first class and make icing right in front of the students!

Then there is the paper work...and if you give the students your home phone number or email addy..the time you spend there also.

It is a GREAT part time job for someone that is VERY devoted..lol

As an instructor, I had classes every night and 2 on Saturdays..but, they were all over the place.

Continuing education , JC Penny's, Private retailers and one recreational cooking school. It WAS a lot of work, but I loved it.

OOPS, and at the time I used to teach it was a flat rate of $150.00 no matter how many people, sometimes the private retailers would cancel classes on me if they didn't get a certain minimum! Grrrrrrrrrr!

Another Michael's WMI here...

Another thing is Demos. I'm supposed to do 2 per month at my hourly rate- $7.00/hour. They are 2 hours long- FOURTEEN BUCKS! It's supposed to help increase enrollment, but all I do is tell people where to find things in the store most of the time. The best part is the gift certificates- $5/hour from Wilton ($20 max/month) and they are used with the discount. I get a bunch of stuff every month free.

There is also free training and seminars from Wilton. We recently had our area instructor meeting here. It was all day long and they provided lunch and free products and a hands on project. It was a fondant cake board. We got a free ribbon roller thingee, the little punch thing, and a set of stuff at the end of the day from the new product display. Plus, as long as you track on time each month, you get the yearbook free. (Still waiting on mine....)

You also get paid for any displays- $42 for a Course I, II, or III cake or $21 for a project class display. You can always add project classes for more money. I have a terrible time getting enrollment on them so I've only done one so far!

I'm not really in it for the money. I just love decorating and need to get out of the house. I figured I might as well make some money while I'm at it! Plus I get the 40% discount from Wilton and can use my Michael's coupons for scrapbooking stuff or stuff that I don't have time to wait on the order for! And, you get to take any other Michaels class for free. I love that one

I think that's it...

Kelly

what are the qualifications for the instructor?

qualifications?

You just need to find your own accounts and have "some" experience in cake decorating. They do provide training but it may not coincide with your teaching schedule...in other words, you may be teaching classes for a while before you find a seminar to attend..lol

The account that I started with was so desperate for an instructor that I began teaching without being able to make the "WILTON" rose..lol

I knew how to explain it but was not able to do it. The day of the rose class, I spent the better part of that time at home...Practicing..lol

Now...I can do them in my sleep!...lol

Our Wilton instructor never brought icing-she always used one of the student's for the demo portion. She always left before the students...guess she was pretty busy.

After a few months, I got tired of pushing rock hard icing out of those small tips..lol

SO..at the first night I'd demo how to make the icing so my students would have the right consistency.

After all, having the right consistency is the secret to making nice decorations!

I thought everyone made icing the first night. What else do you do if you don't demonstrate making the icing and decorating your cake? I hate the first night of Course I. It's a lot of work for me to drag in my mixer and a cake along with all the supplies and make sure everything is clean to demonstrate with (As in the outside of the mixer and stuff that doesn't touch food- it's not always sparkling clean at home!)

For the rest of the classes we're supposed to use student's icing. It sucks when you only have 1 or 2 students because you're always using theirs. Or you have some that just don't get how to make the icing. I don't understand why it's so hard, but then again, I do it so much and have been doing it so long that I don't even think about it. (Nor do I use measuring spoons when thinning it out unless I'm demonstrating!)

Kelly

Yes, that's what I learned also! Some students also tend to put too much icing in the bags!

Some students find it hard to make the icing and I do not know why. If they follow the recipe and pay attention...it should be right from the beginning.

I eventulally would bring in extra icing, just in case someone wouldn't make it right.

Thin to soften hard...hard to thicken soft...

and Medium...in case (very rare!) EVERYONE'S icing cake out wrong..lol

Sigh...those where the days!!!

TexasSugar is right. the first night is the most work of Course I. There's more involved in Courses II and III but, once you have done it awhile, it's no big deal. It's definitely not a nine to five but if it's something you enjoy doing, you'll enjoy doing it. Plus there are other benefits than just pay.

As far as qualifications go, they do prefer that you have taken their courses but, if you haven't, when you sign up, they give you tapes to watch that take you through all three courses. Ofcourse, I believe that any person should only do this if they TRULY care about people learning the techniques or at least give them to ability to start learning. The rest is up to the student. I think it's sad to hear when someone has taken a class and their instructor was not informative or fun. We don't know it all but if your going to take on the title as instructor, then instruct. Put it this way, if you don't think you had a good experience as a student wouldn't you want YOUR students to walk away with a better one?I actually became an instructor because of a bad experience. I think that is why I look at every class and try my best to teach but also make it fun to spend the time together.

Rose