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Best states for a course instructor
Quoted expert
Dr. Carrie Kondor
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for course instructors? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for course instructor jobs.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for course instructors. We found that Virginia is the best state in the nation for course instructors, and people in Southampton earn the most in the field.
In order to get you the best states for course instructors, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that Virginia is the best state for course instructor jobs, whereas Arkansas is the worst.
10 best states for course instructors in 2025
1. Virginia
Total course instructor jobs: 784 Average annual salary: $61,630 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.51
2. New York
Total course instructor jobs: 862 Average annual salary: $62,672 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
3. New Jersey
Total course instructor jobs: 539 Average annual salary: $59,920 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
4. Texas
Total course instructor jobs: 988 Average annual salary: $55,033 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
5. California
Total course instructor jobs: 1,912 Average annual salary: $55,258 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
6. Connecticut
Total course instructor jobs: 102 Average annual salary: $62,534 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 0.56
7. Rhode Island
Total course instructor jobs: 46 Average annual salary: $57,022 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 0.69
8. New Hampshire
Total course instructor jobs: 60 Average annual salary: $58,130 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 0.62
9. Delaware
Total course instructor jobs: 68 Average annual salary: $50,990 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
10. Michigan
Total course instructor jobs: 445 Average annual salary: $47,251 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
Course instructor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a course instructor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a course instructor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $61,630 | $37,000 | 8,470,020 | 784 |
| 2 | New York | $62,672 | $37,000 | 19,849,399 | 862 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $59,920 | $35,000 | 9,005,644 | 539 |
| 4 | Texas | $55,033 | $35,000 | 28,304,596 | 988 |
| 5 | California | $55,258 | $33,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,912 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $62,534 | $37,000 | 3,588,184 | 102 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $57,022 | $33,000 | 1,059,639 | 46 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $58,130 | $34,000 | 1,342,795 | 60 |
| 9 | Delaware | $50,990 | $30,000 | 961,939 | 68 |
| 10 | Michigan | $47,251 | $28,000 | 9,962,311 | 445 |
| 11 | Maryland | $52,849 | $31,000 | 6,052,177 | 338 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $53,073 | $31,000 | 6,859,819 | 376 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $52,442 | $31,000 | 5,576,606 | 261 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $44,011 | $27,000 | 4,454,189 | 305 |
| 15 | Iowa | $45,165 | $28,000 | 3,145,711 | 196 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $51,186 | $30,000 | 693,972 | 113 |
| 17 | Illinois | $48,704 | $29,000 | 12,802,023 | 507 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $45,055 | $28,000 | 2,984,100 | 95 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $47,287 | $29,000 | 1,920,076 | 84 |
| 20 | Georgia | $43,433 | $27,000 | 10,429,379 | 771 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $42,061 | $26,000 | 10,273,419 | 717 |
| 22 | Maine | $48,077 | $28,000 | 1,335,907 | 43 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $43,131 | $27,000 | 2,088,070 | 113 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $41,468 | $26,000 | 5,024,369 | 404 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $43,354 | $25,000 | 12,805,537 | 577 |
| 26 | Vermont | $45,521 | $27,000 | 623,657 | 33 |
| 27 | Ohio | $43,184 | $26,000 | 11,658,609 | 447 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $43,716 | $27,000 | 4,684,333 | 133 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $45,273 | $39,000 | 1,427,538 | 58 |
| 30 | Colorado | $40,059 | $25,000 | 5,607,154 | 589 |
| 31 | Montana | $39,464 | $23,000 | 1,050,493 | 151 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $38,400 | $24,000 | 579,315 | 52 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $40,717 | $24,000 | 755,393 | 42 |
| 34 | Washington | $44,609 | $24,000 | 7,405,743 | 297 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $41,095 | $25,000 | 869,666 | 38 |
| 36 | Florida | $39,134 | $25,000 | 20,984,400 | 838 |
| 37 | Alabama | $40,414 | $25,000 | 4,874,747 | 153 |
| 38 | Oregon | $35,547 | $20,000 | 4,142,776 | 332 |
| 39 | Nevada | $36,264 | $21,000 | 2,998,039 | 139 |
| 40 | Kansas | $39,519 | $25,000 | 2,913,123 | 102 |
| 41 | Alaska | $27,300 | $13,000 | 739,795 | 81 |
| 42 | Utah | $35,819 | $22,000 | 3,101,833 | 160 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $35,067 | $22,000 | 6,715,984 | 245 |
| 44 | Arizona | $36,852 | $23,000 | 7,016,270 | 243 |
| 45 | Indiana | $38,038 | $23,000 | 6,666,818 | 140 |
| 46 | Missouri | $36,415 | $23,000 | 6,113,532 | 236 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $36,235 | $21,000 | 5,795,483 | 208 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $31,478 | $19,000 | 1,815,857 | 68 |
| 49 | Idaho | $32,161 | $19,000 | 1,716,943 | 54 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $31,930 | $20,000 | 3,930,864 | 94 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $30,541 | $19,000 | 3,004,279 | 45 |
Highest paying states for course instructors
| Rank | State | Avg. Course Instructor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $61,630 |
| 2 | New York | $62,672 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $59,920 |
| 4 | Texas | $55,033 |
| 5 | California | $55,258 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $62,534 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $57,022 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $58,130 |
| 9 | Delaware | $50,990 |
| 10 | Michigan | $47,251 |
| 11 | Maryland | $52,849 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $53,073 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $52,442 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $44,011 |
| 15 | Iowa | $45,165 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $51,186 |
| 17 | Illinois | $48,704 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $45,055 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $47,287 |
| 20 | Georgia | $43,433 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $42,061 |
| 22 | Maine | $48,077 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $43,131 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $41,468 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $43,354 |
| 26 | Vermont | $45,521 |
| 27 | Ohio | $43,184 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $43,716 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $45,273 |
| 30 | Colorado | $40,059 |
| 31 | Montana | $39,464 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $38,400 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $40,717 |
| 34 | Washington | $44,609 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $41,095 |
| 36 | Florida | $39,134 |
| 37 | Alabama | $40,414 |
| 38 | Oregon | $35,547 |
| 39 | Nevada | $36,264 |
| 40 | Kansas | $39,519 |
| 41 | Alaska | $27,300 |
| 42 | Utah | $35,819 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $35,067 |
| 44 | Arizona | $36,852 |
| 45 | Indiana | $38,038 |
| 46 | Missouri | $36,415 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $36,235 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $31,478 |
| 49 | Idaho | $32,161 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $31,930 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $30,541 |
Expert opinions on the best states for course instructors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for course instructors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Carrie Kondor
Director, Linfield University
Still, I can say that I believe graduates will find more job possibilities than before, given the broader continuum of teaching environments that this pandemic has opened up!
Course instructor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025