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Best states for a lead instructor
Quoted expert
Alvin Daniels
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Do you want to become a lead instructor at Us Navy, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for lead instructors that you can check out, before you begin your journey. This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for lead instructor jobs.
Michigan is the best state for jobs for lead instructors, and Washington is the worst. The most common pay in Michigan is $54,513, while the median pay in Washington is $34,579.We found that the West is best for lead instructors, and the Northeast is the worst. Central Islip, NY is the best city in the country for lead instructor jobs, where as Michigan is the best state in the country.
10 best states for lead instructors in 2026
1. Michigan
Total lead instructor jobs: 1,435 Average annual salary: $54,513 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 2.89
2. New Jersey
Total lead instructor jobs: 514 Average annual salary: $62,457 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
3. Virginia
Total lead instructor jobs: 756 Average annual salary: $58,774 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
4. New York
Total lead instructor jobs: 790 Average annual salary: $62,357 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
5. Pennsylvania
Total lead instructor jobs: 544 Average annual salary: $53,937 Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
6. District of Columbia
Total lead instructor jobs: 110 Average annual salary: $55,571 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
7. Vermont
Total lead instructor jobs: 32 Average annual salary: $55,706 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 0.65
8. Delaware
Total lead instructor jobs: 71 Average annual salary: $52,128 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
9. West Virginia
Total lead instructor jobs: 67 Average annual salary: $50,841 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 0.69
10. Nevada
Total lead instructor jobs: 430 Average annual salary: $41,499 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 3.21
Lead instructor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a lead instructor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a lead instructor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | $54,513 | $33,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,435 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $62,457 | $37,000 | 9,005,644 | 514 |
| 3 | Virginia | $58,774 | $34,000 | 8,470,020 | 756 |
| 4 | New York | $62,357 | $37,000 | 19,849,399 | 790 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $53,937 | $32,000 | 12,805,537 | 544 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $55,571 | $33,000 | 693,972 | 110 |
| 7 | Vermont | $55,706 | $34,000 | 623,657 | 32 |
| 8 | Delaware | $52,128 | $30,000 | 961,939 | 71 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $50,841 | $30,000 | 1,815,857 | 67 |
| 10 | Nevada | $41,499 | $26,000 | 2,998,039 | 430 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $54,121 | $32,000 | 3,588,184 | 100 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $52,302 | $31,000 | 1,342,795 | 61 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $52,834 | $31,000 | 6,859,819 | 339 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $49,619 | $29,000 | 1,059,639 | 49 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $47,548 | $30,000 | 5,795,483 | 197 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $42,805 | $25,000 | 10,273,419 | 711 |
| 17 | Ohio | $44,621 | $27,000 | 11,658,609 | 441 |
| 18 | Maryland | $47,727 | $28,000 | 6,052,177 | 327 |
| 19 | Iowa | $42,396 | $27,000 | 3,145,711 | 195 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $44,334 | $27,000 | 4,684,333 | 135 |
| 21 | Texas | $42,128 | $26,000 | 28,304,596 | 965 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $39,736 | $24,000 | 2,088,070 | 311 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $48,677 | $42,000 | 1,427,538 | 59 |
| 24 | Idaho | $39,395 | $25,000 | 1,716,943 | 270 |
| 25 | California | $44,462 | $28,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,865 |
| 26 | Missouri | $43,992 | $28,000 | 6,113,532 | 230 |
| 27 | Arkansas | $38,145 | $24,000 | 3,004,279 | 306 |
| 28 | Alabama | $42,180 | $26,000 | 4,874,747 | 152 |
| 29 | Arizona | $41,755 | $26,000 | 7,016,270 | 234 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $39,638 | $24,000 | 2,984,100 | 98 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $41,555 | $26,000 | 5,576,606 | 258 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $35,869 | $22,000 | 4,454,189 | 307 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $36,028 | $22,000 | 5,024,369 | 414 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $35,171 | $23,000 | 1,920,076 | 298 |
| 35 | Indiana | $40,009 | $25,000 | 6,666,818 | 140 |
| 36 | Florida | $38,654 | $23,000 | 20,984,400 | 744 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $36,856 | $24,000 | 755,393 | 43 |
| 38 | Maine | $40,706 | $24,000 | 1,335,907 | 44 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $34,663 | $22,000 | 579,315 | 57 |
| 40 | Kansas | $34,689 | $22,000 | 2,913,123 | 383 |
| 41 | Oregon | $36,375 | $22,000 | 4,142,776 | 333 |
| 42 | Montana | $33,016 | $21,000 | 1,050,493 | 288 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $33,852 | $21,000 | 3,930,864 | 396 |
| 44 | Georgia | $34,879 | $21,000 | 10,429,379 | 766 |
| 45 | Utah | $35,754 | $23,000 | 3,101,833 | 141 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $34,758 | $22,000 | 6,715,984 | 247 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $31,726 | $20,000 | 869,666 | 139 |
| 48 | Alaska | $27,961 | $17,000 | 739,795 | 178 |
| 49 | Colorado | $33,037 | $21,000 | 5,607,154 | 560 |
| 50 | Illinois | $35,630 | $22,000 | 12,802,023 | 485 |
| 51 | Washington | $34,579 | $21,000 | 7,405,743 | 293 |
Highest paying states for lead instructors
| Rank | State | Avg. Lead Instructor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | $54,513 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $62,457 |
| 3 | Virginia | $58,774 |
| 4 | New York | $62,357 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $53,937 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $55,571 |
| 7 | Vermont | $55,706 |
| 8 | Delaware | $52,128 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $50,841 |
| 10 | Nevada | $41,499 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $54,121 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $52,302 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $52,834 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $49,619 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $47,548 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $42,805 |
| 17 | Ohio | $44,621 |
| 18 | Maryland | $47,727 |
| 19 | Iowa | $42,396 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $44,334 |
| 21 | Texas | $42,128 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $39,736 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $48,677 |
| 24 | Idaho | $39,395 |
| 25 | California | $44,462 |
| 26 | Missouri | $43,992 |
| 27 | Arkansas | $38,145 |
| 28 | Alabama | $42,180 |
| 29 | Arizona | $41,755 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $39,638 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $41,555 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $35,869 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $36,028 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $35,171 |
| 35 | Indiana | $40,009 |
| 36 | Florida | $38,654 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $36,856 |
| 38 | Maine | $40,706 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $34,663 |
| 40 | Kansas | $34,689 |
| 41 | Oregon | $36,375 |
| 42 | Montana | $33,016 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $33,852 |
| 44 | Georgia | $34,879 |
| 45 | Utah | $35,754 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $34,758 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $31,726 |
| 48 | Alaska | $27,961 |
| 49 | Colorado | $33,037 |
| 50 | Illinois | $35,630 |
| 51 | Washington | $34,579 |
Expert opinions on the best states for lead instructors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for lead instructors to find work opportunities?
Alvin Daniels
Lecturer, Chicago State University
Because of the World Wide Web, everywhere is a great place for an opportunity to find you. Many companies will have their workers working from home for a while, so if you have talent, you can be found and work from anywhere.
Lead instructor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025