What is the highest salary for Instructor?

The highest salary for Instructor is $120,682 per year, $10,057 per month or $58 per hour.

What is the lowest salary for Instructor?

The lowest salary for Instructor is $67,065 per year, $5,589 per month or $32 per hour.

What is the salary trajectory of Instructor?

The salary trajectory of Instructor ranges between locations and employers. The salary starts at $72,234 per year (estimate) and goes up to $127,647 per year (estimate) for the highest level of seniority.

What is the Salary Trend for Instructors?

Universities generally provide full-time instructors with comfortable salaries, although the candidates could earn even more in non-academic positions. Instructors enjoy many non-monetary perks including intellectually stimulating work, free coursework at their universities, highly accomplished colleagues and the freedom to self-manage. Instructors with greater teaching or industry work experience, as well as those who teach at private and prestigious institutions that charge higher tuition, typically earn higher salaries. Additionally, pay may be higher for instructors with relevant industry certifications including a Certified Public Accountant or Registered Nurse license. Powered by Glassdoor Economic Research

Do Instructors Make Good Money in United States?

Glassdoor's ratings reveal how instructors feel about their jobs, including personal salary satisfaction. Among instructors, that percentage stands at 64%. Instructors can potentially earn $12,181.88 every year through bonuses and profit sharing, and they have benefits in the role such as education reimbursement, paid vacation, and job flexibility.

How Much Does an Instructor Make Over Time in United States?

If you're considering following an instructor career path , your salary will generally fall between $51,863.63 and $157,268.26. The average professional earns an instructor salary of $77,238.18. Experience level is one of the primary factors that affects salary for instructors, but membership in a professional organization and an advanced degree can also bolster your annual income.

How to Make More Money as an Instructor

Membership in a professional organization, such as the National Education Association or the International Literary Association, opens the door to helpful career resources and opportunities to expand your professional network, scoring you future references and opportunities for high-paying positions. Your salary as an instructor will increase as you gain experience, so seek out openings for remote roles, private tutoring, substitute, or part-time positions; each of these stands out on a resume and helps you advance in your career path. A master's degree in education (or your chosen subject area) makes you eligible for a higher instructor salary, and positive references from co-workers and students also factor into your annual earnings.

How to Negotiate a Higher Salary as an Instructor

Before you negotiate for a higher salary as an instructor, explore common interview questions that are frequently asked for instructor roles . "What is your teaching approach?" "How do you handle difficult students?" and "How do you keep students engaged?" are all frequently asked questions you'll need solid answers for, so arrive to the negotiating table prepared with solid answers and a salary number in mind. For established instructor positions, that number usually falls within a pre-determined range, but many employers will negotiate the compensation package if you've provided them with value during your tenure, awarding benefits such as increased PTO, tuition reimbursement, new equipment/supplies, and sign-on and performance-based bonuses.

Instructor Salaries

How much does Instructor make?

Q: How much does Instructor make?

The average salary for Instructor is $89,420 per year or $43 per hour, with top earners making up to $157,268 (90th percentile). Typically, pay ranges from $67,065 (25th percentile) to $120,682 (75th percentile) annually. Salary estimates are based on 34706 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Instructor employees.

Total pay range

$67K - $121K/yr

$89K/yrMedian total pay

Pay breakdown

$58K - $104K/yrBase pay

$9K - $17K/yrAdditional pay

About our data

Last updated Apr 10, 202534.7K Salaries submitted

How accurate is a total pay range of $67K-$121K/yr?

Your input helps Glassdoor refine our pay estimates over time.

Total pay trajectory

Instructor

$67K–$121K/yr

Adjunct Instructor

$70K–$125K/yr

Summer Instructor

$75K–$137K/yr

Popular companies for Instructors

8,842 results

Washington University in St. Louis4.0★

$74K - $135K/yr Total pay

$99K Median

Instructor

US Navy3.8★

$78K - $128K/yr Total pay

$100K Median

Instructor

Baylor College of Medicine3.8★

$60K - $102K/yr Total pay

$79K Median

Instructor

Club Pilates 3.7★

$22 - $33/hr Total pay

$27 Median

Instructor

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai3.8★

$66K - $107K/yr Total pay

$84K Median

Instructor

Viewing 11 - 15 of 8842

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

Illustration of an economist reviewing pay data

What is the pay outlook for Education?

Job growth in education remains steady, with modest growth in salaries and greater opportunities for workers with STEM specialization or those with advanced degrees. Opportunities are likely to persist with the projected rise in student enrollment in the coming years. Jobs are often reliant upon state and local budgets with public sector benefits being an attractive feature for many job-seekers.

Instructor salary in US

A Instructor salary range in US can vary based on important factors such as education, skills, certifications, and years of experience. A Instructor in US can expect to see an entry level salary range of $39,525 to $98,317 per year, based on 5 salary contributions. At the highest seniority level, an experienced Instructor in US can make a salary range of $41,650 to $121,783 with at least 2 years of experience, based on 113 salary contributions. The top 3 companies in US where a Instructor gets the highest compensation are Santa Monica College, Legal Heat and Delaware Technical & Community College. Bigger companies typically pay 20.56% less than smaller companies for a Instructor.

Recent salaries shared by Instructor

50 salaries

Job Title | Years of Experience

Base • Additional pay

Location

Date submitted

Job Title | Years of Experience

Location

Date submitted

Base • Additional pay

Instructor

|

15+ years

$77K/yr

($77K • $0)

Minneapolis, MN

submitted on Jun 28, 2026

$77K/yr

$77K • $0

Instructor

|

4-6 years

$54K - $63K/yr

Portland, OR

submitted on Jun 27, 2026

$54K - $63K/yr

Instructor

|

1-3 years

$49K - $56K/yr

Boston, MA

submitted on Jun 26, 2026

$49K - $56K/yr

Instructor

|

1-3 years

$70K - $81K/yr

Atlanta, GA

submitted on Jun 25, 2026

$70K - $81K/yr

Instructor

|

10-14 years

$70K - $80K/yr

Edwardsville, IL

submitted on Jun 25, 2026

$70K - $80K/yr

Anonymously share your salary to help the community.

Instructor

|

15+ years

$83K - $97K/yr

Dallas, TX

submitted on Jun 24, 2026

$83K - $97K/yr

Instructor

|

10-14 years

$84K/yr

($84K • $0)

Seattle, WA

submitted on Jun 24, 2026

$84K/yr

$84K • $0

Instructor

|

10-14 years

$72K - $84K/yr

Washington, DC

submitted on Jun 23, 2026

$72K - $84K/yr

Instructor

|

1-3 years

$39K - $45K/yr

New York, NY

submitted on Jun 23, 2026

$39K - $45K/yr

Instructor

|

7-9 years

$49K - $56K/yr

Weslaco, TX

submitted on Jun 23, 2026

$49K - $56K/yr

Viewing 21 - 30 of 50

Top paying industries

The top 5 paying industries for Instructor in United States are Information Technology with a median total pay of $110,644, Aerospace & Defense with a median total pay of $110,276, Energy, Mining & Utilities with a median total pay of $107,432, Financial Services with a median total pay of $101,166, and Transportation & Logistics with a median total pay of $96,214.

Information Technology

Top paying companies in Information Technology for Instructor are Workday, Nuro, and Oracle.

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Instructor Salaries

How much does Instructor make?

About our data

Total pay trajectory

Popular companies for Instructors

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

Recent salaries shared by Instructor

Top paying industries

Information Technology

Jobs you may like

Frequently asked questions about Instructor salaries

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How much does Instructor make?

About our data

Total pay trajectory

Popular companies for Instructors

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

Recent salaries shared by Instructor

Top paying industries

Information Technology

Frequently asked questions about Instructor salaries

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