Online instructor demographics and statistics in the US
Online instructor demographics research summary. Zippia estimates online instructor demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our online 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 online instructors after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 10,786 online instructors currently employed in the United States.
- 66.5% of all online instructors are women, while 33.5% are men.
- The average online instructor age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of online instructors is White (58.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.2%), Black or African American (11.8%) and Asian (8.1%).
- Online instructors are most in-demand in Baton Rouge, LA.
- Albany, NY pays an annual average wage of $58,672, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women online instructors earned 96% of what men earned.
- Vermont is the best state for online instructors to live.
- Online instructors are 80% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Online instructor demographics by:
Online instructor gender statistics
66.5% of online instructors are women and 33.5% of online instructors are men.
- Female, 66.5%
- Male, 33.5%
Online instructor gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 66.5% |
| Male | 33.5% |
Online instructor gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$45,808
Female income
$44,160
Online instructor gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in online instructor positions over time. Currently, 66.5% of online instructors are female.
Online instructor gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 33.69% | 66.31% |
| 2011 | 33.21% | 66.79% |
| 2012 | 35.55% | 64.45% |
| 2013 | 34.76% | 65.24% |
| 2014 | 34.87% | 65.13% |
| 2015 | 32.84% | 67.16% |
| 2016 | 35.01% | 64.99% |
| 2017 | 35.45% | 64.55% |
| 2018 | 34.73% | 65.27% |
| 2019 | 33.31% | 66.69% |
| 2020 | 32.95% | 67.05% |
| 2021 | 33.48% | 66.52% |
Online instructor related jobs gender ratio
We compared online 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% |
| Online Instructor | 33% | 67% |
| Guitar Teacher | 83% | 17% |
| Rescue Instructor | 85% | 15% |
| Guitar Instructor | 88% | 12% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Online instructor demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among online instructors is White, which makes up 58.1% of all online instructors. Comparatively, 15.2% of online instructors are Hispanic or Latino and 11.8% of online instructors are Black or African American.
- White, 58.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.2%
- Black or African American, 11.8%
- Asian, 8.1%
- Unknown, 6.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
Online instructor race
| Online instructor race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 58.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.2% |
| Black or African American | 11.8% |
| Asian | 8.1% |
| Unknown | 6.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
Online instructor race and ethnicity over time
See how online instructor racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Online instructor race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64.96% | 13.09% | 5.75% | 12.44% |
| 2011 | 64.00% | 13.23% | 6.10% | 13.01% |
| 2012 | 64.03% | 12.51% | 6.48% | 13.44% |
| 2013 | 63.37% | 12.27% | 6.39% | 13.88% |
| 2014 | 62.92% | 12.24% | 7.65% | 13.31% |
| 2015 | 63.98% | 11.69% | 7.17% | 13.12% |
| 2016 | 62.83% | 12.28% | 6.53% | 14.17% |
| 2017 | 62.39% | 11.90% | 7.29% | 14.30% |
| 2018 | 61.60% | 12.10% | 8.40% | 13.76% |
| 2019 | 62.86% | 11.26% | 7.66% | 14.31% |
| 2020 | 60.14% | 11.54% | 7.51% | 14.56% |
| 2021 | 58.06% | 11.85% | 8.14% | 15.16% |
Online instructor wage gap by race
According to our data, white online instructors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american online instructors have the lowest average salary at $45,029.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $45,567 |
| White | $46,212 |
| Black or African American | $45,029 |
| Asian | $46,190 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $46,056 |
Average online instructor age
See how the average age of online instructors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Online 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 |
Online instructor age breakdown
The average age of online instructors is 40+ years years old, representing 55% of the online instructor population.
Online instructor age breakdown
| Online Instructor Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 55% |
| 30-40 years | 24% |
| 20-30 years | 19% |
Online instructor educational attainment
The most common degree for online instructors is bachelor's degree, with 46% of online instructors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 37% and master's degree degree at 8%.
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Master's, 37%
- Doctorate, 8%
- Associate, 6%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Online instructors by degree level
| Online instructor degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 46% |
| Master's | 37% |
| Doctorate | 8% |
| Associate | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Online instructor jobs you might like
Online instructor wage gap by degree level
According to the data, online instructors with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $51,944 annually. With a Master's degree, online instructors earn a median annual income of $49,347 compared to $46,300 for online instructors with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $49,347 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,445 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,300 |
| Doctorate Degree | $51,944 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $44,915 |
Online instructor employment statistics
Most online instructors work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where online instructors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where online instructors work.
Online instructor jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 31% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 14% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 7% |
Online instructor jobs by company type
Employees with the online instructor job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most online instructors prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Online instructor jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 80% |
| Public | 3% |
| Private | 14% |
| Government | 3% |
Online instructor jobs by industry
The most common industries for online instructors are education, health care and manufacturing.
Online instructor industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 74% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Professional | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
Online instructor turnover and employment statistics
Online instructor unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for online instructors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Online instructor unemployment rate by year
| Year | Online 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 online instructor tenure
The average online instructor stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,346 online instructors resumes in Zippia's database.
Online instructor tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 11% |
| 1-2 years | 21% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 11% |
| 11+ years | 26% |
Online instructor LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of online 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Associate | 6.04% | 44,953 |
| Theater Education Teacher | 9.70% | 58,630 |
| Online Instructor | 10.63% | - |
| Reference Librarian | 10.75% | 1,058 |
| Associate Professor | 12.94% | 30,083 |
| Library Technician | 13.69% | 24,941 |
| Instructional Designer | 16.25% | 50,321 |
Similar online instructor jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Associate | 6.04% | 44,953 |
| Theater Education Teacher | 9.70% | 58,630 |
| Reference Librarian | 10.75% | 1,058 |
| Associate Professor | 12.94% | 30,083 |
| Library Technician | 13.69% | 24,941 |
| Instructional Designer | 16.25% | 50,321 |
Foreign languages spoken by online instructors
The most common foreign language among online instructors is Spanish at 47.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 13.5% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 5.2%.
- Spanish, 47.9%
- French, 13.5%
- Chinese, 5.2%
- Arabic, 4.2%
- Italian, 3.1%
- Other, 26.1%
Online instructor languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 47.9% |
| French | 13.5% |
| Chinese | 5.2% |
| Arabic | 4.2% |
| Italian | 3.1% |
| Other | 26.1% |
