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Communications instructor salary
Average communications instructor salary
$53,529
Average Communications Instructor Salary
The average salary for a Communications Instructor is approximately $53,529 annually, translating to around $26 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as years of experience, geographic location, and the type of institution. For instance, instructors with advanced degrees or specialized skills often command higher salaries.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level Communications Instructors may start with lower salaries, while those with several years of experience can earn upwards of $60,000. Additionally, instructors in urban areas or prestigious universities typically earn more due to higher living costs and demand for experienced educators.
Highest Paying States and Cities
States such as California, New York, and Texas offer some of the highest salaries for this profession. Cities like San Francisco, New York City, and Austin are particularly lucrative, providing ample opportunities for growth and advancement.
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Where can a Communications Instructor earn more?
Communications instructor salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level communications instructor | $37,100 | $17.86 |
| Mid-level communications instructor | $52,700 | $25.35 |
| Senior-level communications instructor | $60,500 | $29.10 |
Average communications instructor salary by state
The highest-paying states for communications instructors are California, New Mexico, and Nevada. The lowest average communications instructor salary states are North Dakota, Vermont, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for communications instructors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $64,390 | $30.96 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $66,658 | $32.05 |
| 3 | California | $72,230 | $34.73 |
| 4 | Delaware | $59,650 | $28.68 |
| 5 | Virginia | $59,903 | $28.80 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $69,966 | $33.64 |
| 7 | South Carolina | $56,940 | $27.38 |
| 8 | Texas | $63,013 | $30.29 |
| 9 | New York | $58,862 | $28.30 |
| 10 | Mississippi | $58,203 | $27.98 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $55,879 | $26.86 |
| 12 | Maryland | $59,323 | $28.52 |
| 13 | Florida | $61,632 | $29.63 |
| 14 | Arizona | $60,492 | $29.08 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $56,075 | $26.96 |
| 16 | Ohio | $58,322 | $28.04 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $51,036 | $24.54 |
| 18 | Georgia | $50,424 | $24.24 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $56,163 | $27.00 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $49,071 | $23.59 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $52,771 | $25.37 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $47,803 | $22.98 |
| 23 | Colorado | $46,886 | $22.54 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $48,306 | $23.22 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $49,099 | $23.61 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $46,468 | $22.34 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $47,726 | $22.95 |
| 28 | Massachusetts | $48,007 | $23.08 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $48,801 | $23.46 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $47,399 | $22.79 |
| 31 | Illinois | $48,912 | $23.52 |
| 32 | Iowa | $44,099 | $21.20 |
| 33 | Michigan | $43,570 | $20.95 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $46,511 | $22.36 |
| 35 | Alabama | $46,978 | $22.59 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $37,571 | $18.06 |
| 37 | Utah | $42,390 | $20.38 |
| 38 | Kansas | $44,054 | $21.18 |
| 39 | Oregon | $39,757 | $19.11 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $36,137 | $17.37 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $43,142 | $20.74 |
| 42 | Vermont | $35,787 | $17.21 |
| 43 | Maine | $39,014 | $18.76 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $40,707 | $19.57 |
| 45 | Idaho | $38,221 | $18.38 |
| 46 | Missouri | $43,637 | $20.98 |
| 47 | Montana | $29,838 | $14.35 |
| 48 | Alaska | $21,694 | $10.43 |
| 49 | Indiana | $41,778 | $20.09 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $32,252 | $15.51 |
| 51 | Washington | $30,991 | $14.90 |
Highest paying cities for communications instructors
The highest-paying cities for communications instructors are Oakland, CA, Las Cruces, NM, and Lubbock, TX.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oakland, CA | $73,794 | $35.48 |
| 2 | Las Cruces, NM | $70,882 | $34.08 |
| 3 | Lubbock, TX | $64,043 | $30.79 |
| 4 | Tallahassee, FL | $63,789 | $30.67 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $59,604 | $28.66 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $59,229 | $28.48 |
| 7 | Cincinnati, OH | $56,612 | $27.22 |
| 8 | New Brunswick, NJ | $56,126 | $26.98 |
| 9 | Kannapolis, NC | $54,872 | $26.38 |
| 10 | Lafayette, LA | $51,174 | $24.60 |
| 11 | Janesville, WI | $49,417 | $23.76 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $48,982 | $23.55 |
| 13 | Aurora, CO | $46,636 | $22.42 |
| 14 | Clarksville, TN | $46,314 | $22.27 |
| 15 | Saint Louis, MO | $44,215 | $21.26 |
| 16 | Laramie, WY | $39,753 | $19.11 |
| 17 | Oregon City, OR | $37,949 | $18.24 |
Communications instructor salary details
A communications instructor's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $97,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a communications instructor's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| 75th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
| Average | $53,529 | $4,461 | $26 |
| 25th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
Highest paying communications instructor jobs
The highest paying types of communications instructors are supervisor of communications, liaison, and instructor.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volunteer | $31,227 | $2,602 | $15.01 | 9,583 |
| Residential Counselor | $34,117 | $2,843 | $16.40 | 81,287 |
| Liaison | $53,737 | $4,478 | $25.84 | 34,074 |
| Program Coordinator | $45,068 | $3,756 | $21.67 | 102,464 |
| Program Counselor | $43,820 | $3,652 | $21.07 | 133,491 |
| Social Work Internship | $37,178 | $3,098 | $17.87 | 142,426 |
Top companies hiring communications instructors now:
Which companies pay communications instructors the most?
Communications instructor salaries at Kern Community College District and Santa Monica College are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average communications instructor salary at companies like Morgan Stanley and Bradley University are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kern Community College District | $124,710 | $59.96 |
| 2 | Santa Monica College | $117,600 | $56.54 |
| 3 | Morgan Stanley | $117,532 | $56.51 |
| 4 | Bradley University | $87,126 | $41.89 |
| 5 | PSEA | $86,557 | $41.61 |
| 6 | Florida State University | $74,578 | $35.85 |
| 7 | Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College | $73,459 | $35.32 |
| 8 | Johns Hopkins University | $67,546 | $32.47 |
| 9 | Rutgers University | $61,917 | $29.77 |
| 10 | Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute | $58,688 | $28.22 |
| 11 | Franklin Pierce University | $56,376 | $27.10 |
| 12 | Rowan-Cabarrus Community College | $55,276 | $26.57 |
| 13 | West Contra Costa Unified School District | $52,295 | $25.14 |
| 14 | Trinity University | $47,836 | $23.00 |
| 15 | Community College of Aurora | $46,797 | $22.50 |
| 16 | Texas Tech University | $46,262 | $22.24 |
| 17 | Metropolitan State University of Denver | $44,912 | $21.59 |
| 18 | Jacksonville State University | $43,796 | $21.06 |
| 19 | All Native Systems LLC | $42,552 | $20.46 |
| 20 | Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | $41,651 | $20.02 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Communications Instructor salary by industry
The average communications instructor salary varies across industries:
- The average communications instructor salary in the education industry is $44,811, the highest of any industry.
- The average communications instructor salary in the finance industry is $36,351.
- Communications instructors in the health care industry earn an average salary of $33,204, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for communications instructors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education | $44,811 | $21.54 |
| 2 | Professional | $36,351 | $17.48 |
| 3 | Non Profits | $33,502 | $16.11 |
| 4 | Health Care | $33,204 | $15.96 |
High paying communications instructor jobs
Communications instructor salary trends
The average communications instructor salary has risen by $10,748 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average communications instructor earned $42,781 annually, but today, they earn $53,529 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for communications instructors over the last decade.
Compare communications instructor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average communications instructor salary over time
Compare communications instructor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Communications instructor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $53,500 | $25.74 | +2.5% |
| 2025 | $52,200 | $25.09 | +3.7% |
| 2024 | $50,200 | $24.15 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $49,300 | $23.70 | +4.0% |
| 2022 | $47,400 | $22.77 | +3.1% |
Recently added communications instructor salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thornton Tomasetti | Writing and Communications Instructor | Fine, NY | 06/30/2025 | $80,000 |
| Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Foundation, Inc. | Instructor, Communication | Asheville, NC | 06/22/2025 | $48,636 |
| Minnesota State | Fixed-Term Communications Instructor | Brooklyn Park, MN | 06/20/2025 | $44,144 |
| Kentucky Community and Technical Colleges | Communications Instructor | Prestonsburg, KY | 06/06/2025 | $40,980 |
| Minnesota State | Fixed-Term Communications Instructor | Brooklyn Park, MN | 05/28/2025 | $44,144 |
| Thornton Tomasetti | Writing and Communications Instructor | Fine, NY | 05/27/2025 | $80,000 |
| Platt College Los Angeles | Visual Communications In-Person Instructor-Adjunct | Ontario, CA | 05/24/2025 | $52,175 |
| North Dakota University System | Communication Instructor | Devils Lake, ND | 05/22/2025 | $45,000 |
| USA Thornton Tomasetti | Writing and Communications Instructor | Fine, NY | 05/22/2025 | $80,000 |
| Maine Community College System | English and Communications Instructor | Calais, ME | 05/21/2025 | $55,802 |
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