Instructor demographics and statistics in the US
Instructor demographics research summary. Zippia estimates instructor demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our instructor estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about instructors after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 278,025 instructors currently employed in the United States.
- 48.8% of all instructors are women, while 51.2% are men.
- The average instructor age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of instructors is White (56.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.6%), Black or African American (10.9%) and Asian (9.5%).
- In 2022, women earned 94% of what men earned.
- 11% of all instructors are LGBT.
- Instructors are 79% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Instructor demographics by:
Instructor gender statistics
48.8% of instructors are women and 51.2% of instructors are men.
- Male, 51.2%
- Female, 48.8%
Instructor gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 51.2% |
| Female | 48.8% |
Instructor gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$54,922
Female income
$51,399
Instructor gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in instructor positions over time. Currently, 48.8% of instructors are female.
Instructor gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 51.45% | 48.55% |
| 2011 | 50.91% | 49.09% |
| 2012 | 53.50% | 46.50% |
| 2013 | 52.63% | 47.37% |
| 2014 | 52.76% | 47.24% |
| 2015 | 50.50% | 49.50% |
| 2016 | 52.91% | 47.09% |
| 2017 | 53.39% | 46.61% |
| 2018 | 52.60% | 47.40% |
| 2019 | 51.03% | 48.97% |
| 2020 | 50.61% | 49.39% |
| 2021 | 51.22% | 48.78% |
Instructor related jobs gender ratio
We compared instructors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, guitar instructor and rescue instructor have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood Education Instructor | 6% | 94% |
| Ballet Teacher | 7% | 93% |
| Horseback Riding Instructor | 12% | 88% |
| Instructor | 51% | 49% |
| Guitar Teacher | 83% | 17% |
| Rescue Instructor | 85% | 15% |
| Guitar Instructor | 88% | 12% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Instructor demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among instructors is White, which makes up 56.6% of all instructors. Comparatively, 16.6% of instructors are Hispanic or Latino and 10.9% of instructors are Black or African American.
- White, 56.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 16.6%
- Black or African American, 10.9%
- Asian, 9.5%
- Unknown, 5.9%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
Instructor race
| Instructor race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 56.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.6% |
| Black or African American | 10.9% |
| Asian | 9.5% |
| Unknown | 5.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
Instructor race and ethnicity over time
See how instructor racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Instructor race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 63.52% | 12.15% | 7.09% | 13.88% |
| 2011 | 62.56% | 12.29% | 7.44% | 14.44% |
| 2012 | 62.59% | 11.57% | 7.82% | 14.87% |
| 2013 | 61.92% | 11.33% | 7.73% | 15.31% |
| 2014 | 61.48% | 11.30% | 8.99% | 14.75% |
| 2015 | 62.54% | 10.75% | 8.51% | 14.56% |
| 2016 | 61.39% | 11.34% | 7.87% | 15.60% |
| 2017 | 60.95% | 10.96% | 8.63% | 15.74% |
| 2018 | 60.16% | 11.16% | 9.74% | 15.19% |
| 2019 | 61.42% | 10.33% | 9.00% | 15.74% |
| 2020 | 58.70% | 10.61% | 8.85% | 15.99% |
| 2021 | 56.62% | 10.91% | 9.48% | 16.59% |
Instructor wage gap by race
According to our data, white instructors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american instructors have the lowest average salary at $53,243.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $54,398 |
| White | $55,801 |
| Black or African American | $53,243 |
| Asian | $55,751 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $55,460 |
Average instructor age
See how the average age of instructors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Instructor age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 43 | 43 |
| Unknown | 39.5 | 41 |
| Asian | 35 | 45 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 37 | 35 |
| White | 43 | 43 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 40 | 43 |
Instructor age breakdown
The average age of instructors is 40+ years years old, representing 55% of the instructor population.
Instructor age breakdown
| Instructor Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 55% |
| 30-40 years | 24% |
| 20-30 years | 19% |
Instructor educational attainment
The most common degree for instructors is bachelor's degree, with 58% of instructors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 12%.
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 9%
Instructors by degree level
| Instructor degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 58% |
| Master's | 17% |
| Associate | 12% |
| High School Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 9% |
Instructor jobs you might like
Instructor wage gap by degree level
According to the data, instructors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $68,940 annually. With a Master's degree, instructors earn a median annual income of $62,835 compared to $55,992 for instructors with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $62,835 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $47,846 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,992 |
| Doctorate Degree | $68,940 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $52,999 |
Instructor employment statistics
Most instructors work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where instructors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where instructors work.
Instructor jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 17% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 12% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 40% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Instructor jobs by company type
Employees with the instructor job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most instructors prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Instructor jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 79% |
| Public | 4% |
| Private | 14% |
| Government | 3% |
Instructor jobs by industry
The most common industries for instructors are education, health care and professional.
Instructor industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 74% |
| Health Care | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Government | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
Instructor turnover and employment statistics
Instructor unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for instructors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Instructor unemployment rate by year
| Year | Instructor unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.57% |
| 2011 | 7.82% |
| 2012 | 7.21% |
| 2013 | 6.49% |
| 2014 | 6.03% |
| 2015 | 4.80% |
| 2016 | 4.35% |
| 2017 | 3.81% |
| 2018 | 3.89% |
| 2019 | 3.91% |
| 2020 | 6.57% |
| 2021 | 6.61% |
Average instructor tenure
The average instructor stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 152,858 instructors resumes in Zippia's database.
Instructor tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 24% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Instructor LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of instructors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching & Research Assistant | 6.04% | 48,936 |
| Adult Educator | 9.70% | 8,373 |
| Instructor | 10.63% | - |
| Reference Librarian | 10.75% | 1,058 |
| Teaching Artist | 12.94% | 4,493 |
| Library Technician | 13.69% | 24,941 |
| Instructional Designer And Trainer | 16.25% | 70,222 |
Similar instructor jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching & Research Assistant | 6.04% | 48,936 |
| Adult Educator | 9.70% | 8,373 |
| Reference Librarian | 10.75% | 1,058 |
| Teaching Artist | 12.94% | 4,493 |
| Library Technician | 13.69% | 24,941 |
| Instructional Designer And Trainer | 16.25% | 70,222 |
Foreign languages spoken by instructors
The most common foreign language among instructors is Spanish at 43.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 11.9% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 6.2%.
- Spanish, 43.4%
- French, 11.9%
- Chinese, 6.2%
- German, 5.0%
- Mandarin, 4.5%
- Other, 29.0%
Instructor languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 43.4% |
| French | 11.9% |
| Chinese | 6.2% |
| German | 5.0% |
| Mandarin | 4.5% |
| Other | 29.0% |
