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Best states for a flight instructor
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to flight instructor jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for flight instructors. We found that California is the best state in the nation for flight instructors, and people in Pacifica earn the most in the field.
We figured that the best places for flight instructor jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that California is the best state for flight instructor jobs, whereas Montana is the worst.
10 best states for flight instructors in 2025
1. California
Total flight instructor jobs: 1,767 Average annual salary: $75,940 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 1.272. North Carolina
Total flight instructor jobs: 680 Average annual salary: $59,233 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.483. Michigan
Total flight instructor jobs: 423 Average annual salary: $61,577 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.144. New Jersey
Total flight instructor jobs: 479 Average annual salary: $63,708 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.265. Oregon
Total flight instructor jobs: 279 Average annual salary: $57,185 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 1.416. Mississippi
Total flight instructor jobs: 97 Average annual salary: $56,576 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 0.967. Massachusetts
Total flight instructor jobs: 318 Average annual salary: $70,801 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 0.738. Iowa
Total flight instructor jobs: 168 Average annual salary: $55,594 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 0.979. Delaware
Total flight instructor jobs: 70 Average annual salary: $56,570 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 1.1710. Minnesota
Total flight instructor jobs: 246 Average annual salary: $59,762 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
Flight instructor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a flight instructor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a flight instructor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $75,940 | $45,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,767 |
| 2 | North Carolina | $59,233 | $37,000 | 10,273,419 | 680 |
| 3 | Michigan | $61,577 | $38,000 | 9,962,311 | 423 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $63,708 | $38,000 | 9,005,644 | 479 |
| 5 | Oregon | $57,185 | $33,000 | 4,142,776 | 279 |
| 6 | Mississippi | $56,576 | $36,000 | 2,984,100 | 97 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $70,801 | $42,000 | 6,859,819 | 318 |
| 8 | Iowa | $55,594 | $36,000 | 3,145,711 | 168 |
| 9 | Delaware | $56,570 | $34,000 | 961,939 | 70 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $59,762 | $39,000 | 5,576,606 | 246 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $57,682 | $35,000 | 12,805,537 | 424 |
| 12 | New York | $55,049 | $33,000 | 19,849,399 | 653 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $56,055 | $36,000 | 5,795,483 | 184 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $53,519 | $32,000 | 1,059,639 | 48 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $51,178 | $34,000 | 755,393 | 40 |
| 16 | Alabama | $52,766 | $33,000 | 4,874,747 | 160 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $52,000 | $33,000 | 6,715,984 | 212 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $59,689 | $52,000 | 1,427,538 | 69 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $50,334 | $32,000 | 4,454,189 | 157 |
| 20 | Texas | $51,969 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 826 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $61,041 | $37,000 | 693,972 | 38 |
| 22 | Virginia | $51,898 | $31,000 | 8,470,020 | 597 |
| 23 | Vermont | $51,621 | $31,000 | 623,657 | 32 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $51,167 | $32,000 | 1,920,076 | 87 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $47,143 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 46 |
| 26 | Florida | $49,719 | $31,000 | 20,984,400 | 787 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $51,793 | $31,000 | 1,342,795 | 61 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $49,310 | $30,000 | 1,815,857 | 58 |
| 29 | Indiana | $50,739 | $32,000 | 6,666,818 | 131 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $47,856 | $30,000 | 2,088,070 | 99 |
| 31 | Georgia | $47,384 | $30,000 | 10,429,379 | 692 |
| 32 | Missouri | $51,156 | $32,000 | 6,113,532 | 174 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $52,116 | $31,000 | 3,588,184 | 111 |
| 34 | Alaska | $46,805 | $26,000 | 739,795 | 55 |
| 35 | Colorado | $46,227 | $29,000 | 5,607,154 | 508 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $49,349 | $31,000 | 3,004,279 | 41 |
| 37 | Maryland | $48,828 | $29,000 | 6,052,177 | 299 |
| 38 | Nevada | $44,844 | $27,000 | 2,998,039 | 151 |
| 39 | Washington | $50,593 | $29,000 | 7,405,743 | 233 |
| 40 | Maine | $48,177 | $29,000 | 1,335,907 | 44 |
| 41 | Ohio | $44,949 | $28,000 | 11,658,609 | 403 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $41,958 | $26,000 | 5,024,369 | 364 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $45,976 | $29,000 | 3,930,864 | 108 |
| 44 | Kansas | $44,135 | $28,000 | 2,913,123 | 129 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $44,084 | $28,000 | 869,666 | 43 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $45,121 | $28,000 | 4,684,333 | 136 |
| 47 | Utah | $44,830 | $28,000 | 3,101,833 | 126 |
| 48 | Arizona | $41,255 | $25,000 | 7,016,270 | 266 |
| 49 | Illinois | $42,534 | $27,000 | 12,802,023 | 456 |
| 50 | Idaho | $37,296 | $22,000 | 1,716,943 | 57 |
| 51 | Montana | $39,503 | $25,000 | 1,050,493 | 0 |
Highest paying states for flight instructors
| Rank | State | Avg. Flight Instructor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $75,940 |
| 2 | North Carolina | $59,233 |
| 3 | Michigan | $61,577 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $63,708 |
| 5 | Oregon | $57,185 |
| 6 | Mississippi | $56,576 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $70,801 |
| 8 | Iowa | $55,594 |
| 9 | Delaware | $56,570 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $59,762 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $57,682 |
| 12 | New York | $55,049 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $56,055 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $53,519 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $51,178 |
| 16 | Alabama | $52,766 |
| 17 | Tennessee | $52,000 |
| 18 | Hawaii | $59,689 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $50,334 |
| 20 | Texas | $51,969 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $61,041 |
| 22 | Virginia | $51,898 |
| 23 | Vermont | $51,621 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $51,167 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $47,143 |
| 26 | Florida | $49,719 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $51,793 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $49,310 |
| 29 | Indiana | $50,739 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $47,856 |
| 31 | Georgia | $47,384 |
| 32 | Missouri | $51,156 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $52,116 |
| 34 | Alaska | $46,805 |
| 35 | Colorado | $46,227 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $49,349 |
| 37 | Maryland | $48,828 |
| 38 | Nevada | $44,844 |
| 39 | Washington | $50,593 |
| 40 | Maine | $48,177 |
| 41 | Ohio | $44,949 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $41,958 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $45,976 |
| 44 | Kansas | $44,135 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $44,084 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $45,121 |
| 47 | Utah | $44,830 |
| 48 | Arizona | $41,255 |
| 49 | Illinois | $42,534 |
| 50 | Idaho | $37,296 |
| 51 | Montana | $39,503 |
Flight instructor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025