How To Become A Firearms Instructor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a firearms instructor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average firearms instructor salary is $52,498. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an criminal justice major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a firearms instructor. Firearms instructors with a Certified Law Enforcement Analysts (CLEA) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 2% and produce 5,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreFirearms InstructorUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,498

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.9

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.28%

Asian 11.26%

Black or African American 7.19%

Hispanic or Latino 10.23%

Unknown 4.94%

White 66.10%

Gender

female 7.96%

male 92.04%

Age - 46

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 - 46

Stress level

6.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.1

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a firearms instructor

Explore firearms instructor education requirements

Most common firearms instructor degrees

Bachelor's

47.1 %

Associate

23.2 %

High School Diploma

12.4 %

Start to develop specific firearms instructor skills

Skills	Percentages
Defensive Tactics	16.19%
Fire Training	15.84%
Safety Procedures	10.84%
Training Programs	8.18%
Live Fire	6.58%

Complete relevant firearms instructor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New firearms 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 a firearms instructor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real firearms instructor resumes.

Research firearms instructor duties and responsibilities

Instruct new USMC recruits to master skill of weaponry and achieve marksmanship distinction.
Teach a reading and math class.
Coordinate available firearms classes or slots with multiple agencies under DOD.
Compete nationwide with service pistols and service rifles in national shooting matches.

Prepare your firearms instructor resume

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

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Choose from 10+ customizable firearms instructor resume templates

Build a professional firearms 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 firearms instructor resume.