28-05-2025
Aussie couple making $1,200 a day from job anyone can do: ‘Went off like an explosion'
A driving school instructor has stunned Aussies after revealing her business can pull in up to $1,200 a day. She said it's a job anyone can do, provided you have the patience for it.
Jenna and her partner Andreas opened the doors to their driving school in Central Queensland in September last year. The 36-year-old told Yahoo Finance she always wanted to be her own boss and was now earning much more than her previous job as a call centre operator.
'Not only that, I have more flexibility and freedom, which is priceless,' she said.
'If I want to go get a tan tomorrow, I don't have to ask my boss if I can have the day off. We get to set our own schedule around our lifestyle, which is what I always wanted.'
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The couple were one of the first to open a Jim's Driving School franchise, having previously purchased a Jim's Mowing business a few years earlier.
Jenna said it could cost between $25,000 and $35,000 to purchase a franchise, depending on which state you are in. The couple bought two secondhand cars for the business — one manual and one automatic. They had to install dual pedals into the cars, which cost them around $1,800, plus they had expenses for business cards, flyers and uniforms when starting said the business picked up quickly, given the lack of driving schools with ready availability in the Mackay region where they live.
'It went off like an explosion, if I'm honest," she said. "We started advertising that we were opening for driving lessons in October, and posted on our local classifieds everywhere in the area.
"Once we started doing driving lessons, word gets around quite quickly. Where we are, there were already established driving schools, which were already booked out one to three months in advance. We had spots right now.'
Jim's Group recently posted a video about Jenna and Andreas earning $1,200 a day through their business, and Aussies were blown away, with some questioning the figure.
Jenna explained this figure was based on both her and Andreas charging $100 per lesson and doing six lessons each per day.
'It does need to be clearly stated that it's two people to have that income,' Jenna said.
Jenna said the couple were pulling in this amount at the start, but Andreas had now pulled back to focus on their mowing business, while Jenna focuses on the driving school.
'We only did Monday to Friday. If someone wanted to work six or seven days a week and do six lessons a day, they could easily make more than $3,000,' Jenna said.
Some Aussies questioned whether drivers would be able to charge $100 per lesson.
"I don't know who's paying $100 for a lesson. I charge $65 and they still complain," one person wrote.
"Bro, no way it's $100 a lesson. Here in Vic it's $78 for one hour with RACV drive school," another said.
"Never $100, all the pricing is around $60, that's in Sydney," another said.
Jenna said drivers were free to set their driving lesson rates, which may be higher or lower.
According to EZLicense, the national average for driving lessons is $80 an hour.
The South Australian average is the highest at $108.78, while NSW is around $76.42 an hour, Victoria is $77.91 an hour, and Queensland is $79.39 an hour.
According to SEEK, the average driving instructor can earn a typical salary of $88,000 per year.
While $1,200 a day or even $600 a day can seem like a huge amount of money, it's worth noting this is the revenue the business is bringing in and not the profit.
Jim's charges a base flat rate every month, which Jenna said was about $820 a month but could vary depending on where you were based. Jim's also charges a fee of up to $18 for each lead they get from the Jim's system.
'Everything else is running costs. So fuel, car maintenance, business cards and flyers, if you need to restock up,' Jenna said.
Jenna said she ends up paying herself more than $1,000 weekly, with the remainder of the profits going back into the business and helping with cash flow.
Some Aussies online questioned why the couple wouldn't just open their own driving school, but Jenna said she thinks there are benefits to being part of the chain.
'You have an Australian, well-known brand behind you and that makes a big difference. Everyone knows and trusts Jim's and trust is a big thing,' she said.
Jenna said becoming a driving instructor was something that anyone could do, however, it might suit someone who is 'more of a patient person'.
'There is a certificate that is required to be able to be a driving instructor,' she said.
You'll usually need to complete a Certificate IV in Motor Vehicle Driver Training, which can be acquired through TAFE or a private training college. You'll also need a Working With Children Check if you plan to instruct learners under 18.
