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Best states for a field instructor
Quoted expert
Dr. Jay Dorfman
- Rank 1 - 10
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Do you want to become a field instructor at SUWS of the Carolinas, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for field instructors that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of field instructors in America is $102,000.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for field instructors.We found that New York is the best state for field instructor jobs, whereas Iowa is the worst.
10 best states for field instructors in 2025
1. New York
Total field instructor jobs: 1,301 Average annual salary: $93,016 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 0.972. Maine
Total field instructor jobs: 169 Average annual salary: $69,549 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.223. New Hampshire
Total field instructor jobs: 182 Average annual salary: $76,287 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 14. Massachusetts
Total field instructor jobs: 865 Average annual salary: $93,089 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 0.95. New Jersey
Total field instructor jobs: 861 Average annual salary: $75,938 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.046. Connecticut
Total field instructor jobs: 293 Average annual salary: $79,046 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.857. Delaware
Total field instructor jobs: 140 Average annual salary: $64,263 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1.078. Michigan
Total field instructor jobs: 744 Average annual salary: $65,043 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 0.929. West Virginia
Total field instructor jobs: 133 Average annual salary: $66,620 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.8410. Vermont
Total field instructor jobs: 93 Average annual salary: $60,443 Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
Field instructor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a field instructor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a field instructor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $93,016 | $48,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,301 |
| 2 | Maine | $69,549 | $32,000 | 1,335,907 | 169 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $76,287 | $37,000 | 1,342,795 | 182 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $93,089 | $48,000 | 6,859,819 | 865 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $75,938 | $37,000 | 9,005,644 | 861 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $79,046 | $39,000 | 3,588,184 | 293 |
| 7 | Delaware | $64,263 | $31,000 | 961,939 | 140 |
| 8 | Michigan | $65,043 | $31,000 | 9,962,311 | 744 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $66,620 | $33,000 | 1,815,857 | 133 |
| 10 | Vermont | $60,443 | $27,000 | 623,657 | 93 |
| 11 | South Carolina | $56,085 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 577 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $68,507 | $33,000 | 1,059,639 | 97 |
| 13 | Arizona | $58,273 | $31,000 | 7,016,270 | 633 |
| 14 | Georgia | $56,682 | $30,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,193 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $58,238 | $28,000 | 5,795,483 | 535 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $56,656 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 315 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $60,107 | $28,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,042 |
| 18 | Indiana | $61,717 | $31,000 | 6,666,818 | 471 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $53,783 | $29,000 | 3,930,864 | 311 |
| 20 | Ohio | $56,557 | $27,000 | 11,658,609 | 823 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $60,906 | $54,000 | 1,427,538 | 115 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $50,293 | $26,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,129 |
| 23 | Illinois | $58,743 | $29,000 | 12,802,023 | 955 |
| 24 | Nevada | $49,670 | $26,000 | 2,998,039 | 283 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $50,586 | $27,000 | 2,984,100 | 224 |
| 26 | Maryland | $55,889 | $27,000 | 6,052,177 | 637 |
| 27 | Idaho | $50,776 | $27,000 | 1,716,943 | 161 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $61,612 | $30,000 | 693,972 | 126 |
| 29 | Virginia | $51,153 | $25,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,208 |
| 30 | Alabama | $52,576 | $28,000 | 4,874,747 | 343 |
| 31 | Florida | $50,928 | $27,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,594 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $46,608 | $25,000 | 579,315 | 107 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $50,276 | $27,000 | 6,715,984 | 511 |
| 34 | Missouri | $51,419 | $27,000 | 6,113,532 | 485 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $51,775 | $25,000 | 5,576,606 | 633 |
| 36 | California | $49,290 | $26,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,933 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $45,463 | $23,000 | 755,393 | 144 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $50,387 | $26,000 | 869,666 | 85 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $47,355 | $25,000 | 2,088,070 | 219 |
| 40 | Montana | $45,167 | $24,000 | 1,050,493 | 173 |
| 41 | Oregon | $45,164 | $23,000 | 4,142,776 | 569 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $48,900 | $25,000 | 4,454,189 | 272 |
| 43 | Colorado | $41,903 | $22,000 | 5,607,154 | 876 |
| 44 | Washington | $48,791 | $25,000 | 7,405,743 | 647 |
| 45 | Utah | $41,862 | $22,000 | 3,101,833 | 348 |
| 46 | Kansas | $47,716 | $25,000 | 2,913,123 | 213 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $46,094 | $25,000 | 3,004,279 | 193 |
| 48 | Texas | $41,449 | $22,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,154 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $46,859 | $24,000 | 1,920,076 | 170 |
| 50 | Alaska | $30,195 | $14,000 | 739,795 | 96 |
| 51 | Iowa | $34,380 | $17,000 | 3,145,711 | 340 |
Highest paying states for field instructors
| Rank | State | Avg. Field Instructor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $93,016 |
| 2 | Maine | $69,549 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $76,287 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $93,089 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $75,938 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $79,046 |
| 7 | Delaware | $64,263 |
| 8 | Michigan | $65,043 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $66,620 |
| 10 | Vermont | $60,443 |
| 11 | South Carolina | $56,085 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $68,507 |
| 13 | Arizona | $58,273 |
| 14 | Georgia | $56,682 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $58,238 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $56,656 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $60,107 |
| 18 | Indiana | $61,717 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $53,783 |
| 20 | Ohio | $56,557 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $60,906 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $50,293 |
| 23 | Illinois | $58,743 |
| 24 | Nevada | $49,670 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $50,586 |
| 26 | Maryland | $55,889 |
| 27 | Idaho | $50,776 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $61,612 |
| 29 | Virginia | $51,153 |
| 30 | Alabama | $52,576 |
| 31 | Florida | $50,928 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $46,608 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $50,276 |
| 34 | Missouri | $51,419 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $51,775 |
| 36 | California | $49,290 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $45,463 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $50,387 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $47,355 |
| 40 | Montana | $45,167 |
| 41 | Oregon | $45,164 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $48,900 |
| 43 | Colorado | $41,903 |
| 44 | Washington | $48,791 |
| 45 | Utah | $41,862 |
| 46 | Kansas | $47,716 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $46,094 |
| 48 | Texas | $41,449 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $46,859 |
| 50 | Alaska | $30,195 |
| 51 | Iowa | $34,380 |
Expert opinions on the best states for field instructors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for field instructors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Jay Dorfman
Associate Professor - Coordinator of Music Education, Kent State University
There are certainly some states with teacher shortages, but that is often because those states' political or economic climates make them less desirable as a place for teachers to work. If teachers' teaching conditions and salaries were improved, there would be more people interested in entering the profession. That said, I typically tell students that the broader their search for a job can be, the more likely they are to find a good fit.
Field instructor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025