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Life skills instructor salary
Average life skills instructor salary
$14.83
Understanding Life Skills Instructor Salaries
The average salary for a Life Skills Instructor is approximately $30,844 annually, translating to about $15 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on location, experience, and the specific sector in which an instructor works. For instance, instructors in urban areas often earn more due to higher demand and cost of living adjustments.
Highest Paying States for Life Skills Instructors
States such as California, Texas, and New York typically offer the highest salaries for Life Skills Instructors. In addition, industries like healthcare and education tend to provide better compensation packages. With various positions available, including those in nonprofit organizations and private practice, instructors have multiple avenues to explore for career advancement.
Career Opportunities
Life Skills Instructors can find opportunities in schools, rehabilitation centers, and community organizations. These professionals focus on fostering independence among individuals with disabilities or those facing life challenges, making their role crucial in promoting personal development. By enhancing their skills and pursuing additional certifications, instructors can increase their earning potential and impact within their communities.
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Where can a Life Skills Instructor earn more?
Life skills instructor salary estimates from across the web
Average life skills instructor salary by state
The average life skills instructor salary in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average life skills instructor salary states are Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for life skills instructors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $34,018 | $16.35 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $32,025 | $15.40 |
| 3 | New York | $32,774 | $15.76 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $35,774 | $17.20 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $32,124 | $15.44 |
| 6 | Maine | $32,366 | $15.56 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $28,727 | $13.81 |
| 8 | Vermont | $32,530 | $15.64 |
| 9 | West Virginia | $26,638 | $12.81 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $33,745 | $16.22 |
| 11 | Delaware | $26,848 | $12.91 |
| 12 | California | $30,551 | $14.69 |
| 13 | Maryland | $30,230 | $14.53 |
| 14 | Nevada | $25,259 | $12.14 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $25,554 | $12.29 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $25,941 | $12.47 |
| 17 | Washington | $30,389 | $14.61 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $24,901 | $11.97 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $24,360 | $11.71 |
| 20 | Alaska | $24,992 | $12.02 |
| 21 | Virginia | $26,406 | $12.70 |
| 22 | Colorado | $25,455 | $12.24 |
| 23 | Illinois | $27,195 | $13.07 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $25,164 | $12.10 |
| 25 | Indiana | $24,114 | $11.59 |
| 26 | Oregon | $25,762 | $12.39 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $25,971 | $12.49 |
| 28 | Georgia | $24,015 | $11.55 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $23,577 | $11.34 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $24,010 | $11.54 |
| 31 | Arizona | $25,025 | $12.03 |
| 32 | Utah | $24,950 | $12.00 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $25,158 | $12.10 |
| 34 | Michigan | $23,076 | $11.09 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $28,585 | $13.74 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $21,915 | $10.54 |
| 37 | Montana | $21,338 | $10.26 |
| 38 | Texas | $22,207 | $10.68 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $22,007 | $10.58 |
| 40 | Iowa | $19,066 | $9.17 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $20,560 | $9.88 |
| 42 | Florida | $20,365 | $9.79 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $21,337 | $10.26 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $19,740 | $9.49 |
| 45 | Missouri | $19,962 | $9.60 |
| 46 | Kansas | $18,340 | $8.82 |
| 47 | Idaho | $18,137 | $8.72 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $18,994 | $9.13 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $19,604 | $9.43 |
| 50 | Ohio | $17,913 | $8.61 |
| 51 | Alabama | $17,836 | $8.57 |
Highest paying cities for life skills instructors
The highest-paying cities for life skills instructors are Norwich, CT, Lowell, MA, and Utica, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norwich, CT | $35,939 | $17.28 |
| 2 | Lowell, MA | $33,929 | $16.31 |
| 3 | Utica, NY | $32,968 | $15.85 |
| 4 | Oakland, CA | $30,616 | $14.72 |
| 5 | Spokane, WA | $29,777 | $14.32 |
| 6 | Palatine, IL | $27,341 | $13.14 |
| 7 | Richmond, KY | $26,062 | $12.53 |
| 8 | Chapel Hill, NC | $25,942 | $12.47 |
| 9 | Chaska, MN | $25,441 | $12.23 |
| 10 | Las Vegas, NV | $25,267 | $12.15 |
| 11 | Scottsdale, AZ | $24,901 | $11.97 |
| 12 | Roy, UT | $24,867 | $11.96 |
| 13 | Anderson, IN | $24,087 | $11.58 |
| 14 | Spartanburg, SC | $23,378 | $11.24 |
| 15 | Lawton, OK | $22,169 | $10.66 |
| 16 | Memphis, TN | $21,880 | $10.52 |
| 17 | Fort Myers, FL | $20,520 | $9.87 |
| 18 | Cincinnati, OH | $17,458 | $8.39 |
Life skills instructor salary details
A life skills instructor's salary ranges from $21,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a life skills instructor's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| Average | $30,844 | $2,570 | $15 |
| 25th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
| 10th Percentile | $21,000 | $1,750 | $10 |
Highest paying life skills instructor jobs
The highest paying types of life skills instructors are communications instructor, instructor, and yoga instructor.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Support Professional | $32,077 | $2,673 | $15.42 | 142,034 |
| Program Counselor | $43,820 | $3,652 | $21.07 | 133,491 |
| Direct Care Staffer | $30,480 | $2,540 | $14.65 | 117,658 |
| Residential Counselor | $34,117 | $2,843 | $16.40 | 81,287 |
| Direct Care Counselor | $33,422 | $2,785 | $16.07 | 123,519 |
| Direct Support Staff | $31,268 | $2,606 | $15.03 | 182,001 |
Top companies hiring life skills instructors now:
Which companies pay life skills instructors the most?
Life skills instructor salaries at University of California, Berkeley and East Bay Innovations are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average life skills instructor salary at companies like Aspire Health and Devereux Arizona are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley | $47,113 | $22.65 |
| 2 | East Bay Innovations | $37,163 | $17.87 |
| 3 | Aspire Health | $33,822 | $16.26 |
| 4 | Devereux Arizona | $30,814 | $14.81 |
| 5 | Cincinnati Public Schools | $30,730 | $14.77 |
| 6 | Little City | $30,646 | $14.73 |
| 7 | UNC Health Care | $30,473 | $14.65 |
| 8 | Ability Beyond | $30,166 | $14.50 |
| 9 | Charles Lea Center | $30,043 | $14.44 |
| 10 | Munson Healthcare | $29,386 | $14.13 |
| 11 | Carle Foundation | $28,726 | $13.81 |
| 12 | Centerstone | $28,439 | $13.67 |
| 13 | UCLA | $28,359 | $13.63 |
| 14 | Aegis Therapies | $28,297 | $13.60 |
| 15 | Key Autism Services | $28,116 | $13.52 |
| 16 | The GEO Group | $27,990 | $13.46 |
| 17 | Northeastern Services Lakeside | $27,884 | $13.41 |
| 18 | Alternative Services-Connecticut Inc | $27,884 | $13.41 |
| 19 | Crossroads Diversified Services | $27,753 | $13.34 |
| 20 | Ray Graham Association | $26,828 | $12.90 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Life Skills Instructor salary by industry
The average life skills instructor salary varies across industries:
- The average life skills instructor salary in the professional industry is $30,119, the highest of any industry.
- The average life skills instructor salary in the finance industry is $30,110.
- Life skills instructors in the media industry earn an average salary of $28,105, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for life skills instructors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $30,119 | $14.48 |
| 2 | Health Care | $30,110 | $14.48 |
| 3 | Non Profits | $29,576 | $14.22 |
| 4 | Government | $29,072 | $13.98 |
| 5 | Education | $29,068 | $13.97 |
| 6 | Media | $28,105 | $13.51 |
High paying life skills instructor jobs
Life skills instructor salary trends
The average life skills instructor salary has risen by $7,218 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average life skills instructor earned $23,626 annually, but today, they earn $30,844 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for life skills instructors over the last decade.
Compare life skills instructor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average life skills instructor salary over time
Compare life skills instructor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Life skills instructor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $30,800 | $14.83 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | $30,800 | $14.78 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $30,300 | $14.58 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $29,900 | $14.35 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $29,100 | $13.97 | +5.2% |
Recently added life skills instructor salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centerstone | Life Skills Instructor | Alton, IL | 06/30/2025 | $32,870 |
| Centria | Early Intervention Bcba-Life Skills Autism Academy (Center-Based) | Fayetteville, NC | 06/22/2025 | $90,000 |
| Centria | Early Intervention Bcba-Life Skills Autism Academy (Center-Based) | Phoenix, AZ | 06/22/2025 | $83,000 |
| Little City Foundation | Life Skills Instructor | Palatine, IL | 06/11/2025 | $30,000 |
| Christian Opportunity Center | Life Skills Instructor/Job Coach | Pella, IA | 05/28/2025 | $33,392 |
| Centerstone | Life Skills Instructor | Alton, IL | 05/27/2025 | $32,870 |
| Future Transitions, Inc. | Educator 1-Life Skills Educator | Alhambra, CA | 05/16/2025 | $40,697 |
| Lifeworks | Life Skills Instructor-Education (Bilingual Preferred) | Austin, TX | 05/13/2025 | $51,883 |
| Proact Critical Care Academy | Basic Life Support Instructor | Madison, WI | 05/12/2025 | $42,679 |
| Centerstone | Life Skills Instructor | Alton, IL | 04/29/2025 | $32,870 |
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