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Best states for a pilot instructor
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- 21 - 30
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- 41 - 51
Are you thinking of becoming a pilot instructor and really want to work at United States Army Corps of Engineers? Turns out, your chances to become a pilot instructor are better in some states than others.Our research found that Nevada is the best state for pilot instructors, while California and New York are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Nevada has a median salary of $108,099 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for pilot instructors.
In order to get you the best states for pilot instructors, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.Nevada is the best state, and Windsor is the city with the highest pay for pilot instructors.
10 best states for pilot instructors in 2025
1. Nevada
Total pilot instructor jobs: 139 Average annual salary: $108,099 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
2. California
Total pilot instructor jobs: 1,749 Average annual salary: $123,582 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $190,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
3. Wyoming
Total pilot instructor jobs: 43 Average annual salary: $98,039 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.56
4. Oregon
Total pilot instructor jobs: 265 Average annual salary: $110,078 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
5. New Jersey
Total pilot instructor jobs: 448 Average annual salary: $112,775 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
6. New York
Total pilot instructor jobs: 545 Average annual salary: $112,952 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
7. Montana
Total pilot instructor jobs: 75 Average annual salary: $91,825 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
8. Iowa
Total pilot instructor jobs: 175 Average annual salary: $91,747 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
9. Louisiana
Total pilot instructor jobs: 143 Average annual salary: $91,004 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
10. New Mexico
Total pilot instructor jobs: 85 Average annual salary: $90,435 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
Pilot instructor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a pilot instructor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a pilot instructor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $108,099 | $68,000 | 2,998,039 | 139 |
| 2 | California | $123,582 | $80,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,749 |
| 3 | Wyoming | $98,039 | $61,000 | 579,315 | 43 |
| 4 | Oregon | $110,078 | $70,000 | 4,142,776 | 265 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $112,775 | $74,000 | 9,005,644 | 448 |
| 6 | New York | $112,952 | $74,000 | 19,849,399 | 545 |
| 7 | Montana | $91,825 | $57,000 | 1,050,493 | 75 |
| 8 | Iowa | $91,747 | $60,000 | 3,145,711 | 175 |
| 9 | Louisiana | $91,004 | $57,000 | 4,684,333 | 143 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $90,435 | $57,000 | 2,088,070 | 85 |
| 11 | Colorado | $87,779 | $55,000 | 5,607,154 | 516 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $90,263 | $59,000 | 1,059,639 | 42 |
| 13 | Arizona | $88,128 | $56,000 | 7,016,270 | 237 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $87,192 | $57,000 | 1,815,857 | 56 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $96,166 | $77,000 | 1,427,538 | 63 |
| 16 | Delaware | $86,202 | $57,000 | 961,939 | 69 |
| 17 | Utah | $86,721 | $54,000 | 3,101,833 | 124 |
| 18 | Florida | $85,557 | $54,000 | 20,984,400 | 765 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $89,594 | $59,000 | 6,859,819 | 321 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $80,641 | $53,000 | 10,273,419 | 653 |
| 21 | Washington | $90,407 | $57,000 | 7,405,743 | 234 |
| 22 | Alaska | $81,393 | $59,000 | 739,795 | 58 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $88,306 | $58,000 | 1,342,795 | 52 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $79,491 | $52,000 | 5,024,369 | 373 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $81,883 | $53,000 | 4,454,189 | 155 |
| 26 | Vermont | $84,992 | $56,000 | 623,657 | 30 |
| 27 | Illinois | $85,144 | $55,000 | 12,802,023 | 446 |
| 28 | Kansas | $82,671 | $53,000 | 2,913,123 | 109 |
| 29 | Ohio | $81,360 | $53,000 | 11,658,609 | 352 |
| 30 | Maryland | $84,209 | $55,000 | 6,052,177 | 297 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $80,552 | $52,000 | 755,393 | 37 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $89,191 | $58,000 | 3,588,184 | 95 |
| 33 | Texas | $79,992 | $50,000 | 28,304,596 | 815 |
| 34 | Idaho | $79,122 | $49,000 | 1,716,943 | 60 |
| 35 | Virginia | $77,010 | $51,000 | 8,470,020 | 595 |
| 36 | Michigan | $72,735 | $47,000 | 9,962,311 | 426 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $79,135 | $51,000 | 6,715,984 | 180 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $77,044 | $49,000 | 869,666 | 36 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $71,655 | $46,000 | 2,984,100 | 95 |
| 40 | Georgia | $68,989 | $44,000 | 10,429,379 | 676 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $83,733 | $55,000 | 693,972 | 32 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $76,268 | $49,000 | 3,004,279 | 42 |
| 43 | Maine | $72,175 | $48,000 | 1,335,907 | 43 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $70,517 | $46,000 | 12,805,537 | 362 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $68,306 | $44,000 | 3,930,864 | 104 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $67,857 | $44,000 | 5,795,483 | 190 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $67,659 | $43,000 | 1,920,076 | 73 |
| 48 | Missouri | $68,869 | $45,000 | 6,113,532 | 168 |
| 49 | Minnesota | $61,672 | $40,000 | 5,576,606 | 246 |
| 50 | Alabama | $61,871 | $40,000 | 4,874,747 | 160 |
| 51 | Indiana | $66,493 | $43,000 | 6,666,818 | 133 |
Highest paying states for pilot instructors
| Rank | State | Avg. Pilot Instructor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $108,099 |
| 2 | California | $123,582 |
| 3 | Wyoming | $98,039 |
| 4 | Oregon | $110,078 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $112,775 |
| 6 | New York | $112,952 |
| 7 | Montana | $91,825 |
| 8 | Iowa | $91,747 |
| 9 | Louisiana | $91,004 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $90,435 |
| 11 | Colorado | $87,779 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $90,263 |
| 13 | Arizona | $88,128 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $87,192 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $96,166 |
| 16 | Delaware | $86,202 |
| 17 | Utah | $86,721 |
| 18 | Florida | $85,557 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $89,594 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $80,641 |
| 21 | Washington | $90,407 |
| 22 | Alaska | $81,393 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $88,306 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $79,491 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $81,883 |
| 26 | Vermont | $84,992 |
| 27 | Illinois | $85,144 |
| 28 | Kansas | $82,671 |
| 29 | Ohio | $81,360 |
| 30 | Maryland | $84,209 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $80,552 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $89,191 |
| 33 | Texas | $79,992 |
| 34 | Idaho | $79,122 |
| 35 | Virginia | $77,010 |
| 36 | Michigan | $72,735 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $79,135 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $77,044 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $71,655 |
| 40 | Georgia | $68,989 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $83,733 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $76,268 |
| 43 | Maine | $72,175 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $70,517 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $68,306 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $67,857 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $67,659 |
| 48 | Missouri | $68,869 |
| 49 | Minnesota | $61,672 |
| 50 | Alabama | $61,871 |
| 51 | Indiana | $66,493 |
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Updated January 8, 2025