How To Become An Adult Education Instructor: What It Is and Career Path

What is an adult education instructor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Learning doesn't stop at eighteen. Adults often pursue further education well into their lives, and Adult Education Instructors are there to meet that demand. Many Adult Education Instructors' students are adults studying for a General Equivalency or High School Equivalency Diploma. They also teach English as a Second Language, especially to people looking to pass the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for employment purposes.

Most employers require their Adult Education Instructor to have Bachelor's degrees -- preferably in Education, Business, or English. In fact, a considerable percentage of Adult Education Instructors in the US hold Master's degrees. Prior experience in teaching or a teaching certificate is another primary qualification for many schools looking for a new hire.

Adult Education Instructors in the United States earn roughly $55,000 a year on average. That's more or less $26 an hour. However, if you're looking to cash a bigger paycheck, you might want to check out jobs in California. Adult Education Instructors in San Francisco make an impressive average yearly salary of $97,334.

ScoreAdult Education InstructorUS Average

Salary

3.6

Avg. Salary $45,926

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.8

Growth rate -6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.52%

Asian 5.93%

Black or African American 11.90%

Hispanic or Latino 14.69%

Unknown 5.67%

White 61.28%

Gender

female 64.91%

male 35.09%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.9

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an adult education instructor

Explore adult education instructor education requirements

Most common adult education instructor degrees

Bachelor's

63.1 %

Master's

21.6 %

Associate

10.0 %

Start to develop specific adult education instructor skills

Skills	Percentages
Math	12.29%
Professional Development	7.95%
Social Studies	7.54%
Course Curriculum	6.89%
Equivalency	6.14%

Complete relevant adult education instructor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New adult education instructors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an adult education instructor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real adult education instructor resumes.

Research adult education instructor duties and responsibilities

Manage groups of kids on a daily basis in the field to ensure safety while participating in activities.
Empower new immigrant ESL non-literate students with verbal and writing language skills enabling employ.
Plan curriculum, including PowerPoint slides, class activities, and course materials.
Plan and co-taught a weekly adult English class for students' parents and community members

Prepare your adult education instructor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your adult education instructor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an adult education instructor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable adult education instructor resume templates

Build a professional adult education instructor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your adult education instructor resume.

Apply for adult education instructor jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an adult education instructor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do adult education instructors rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Adult education instructor reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

I like seeing student grow intellectually and succeed in life. I was employed for nine years with the Fort Worth ISD and very instrumental in helping numerous of my students earn their GED. I counseled with those students interested in a,post-secondary education. I acquired a TEA Adult Education Certification through action research studies. I received the certification (August 8, 2010) two years ahead of my fellow adult education teachers in Tarrant County.

Cons

I desired to see more innovative curriculum that would elevate the students endeavors to rapidly complete the GED program. Through my doctorate studies and degree I readily recognize problem areas and weaknesses of students by advanced assessments.