Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for technical instructors in the United States
Technical instructor job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected technical instructor job growth rate is 2% from 2018-2028.
About 5,400 new jobs for technical instructors are projected over the next decade.
Technical instructor salaries have increased 10% for technical instructors in the last 5 years.
There are over 6,290 technical instructors currently employed in the United States.
There are 103,399 active technical instructor job openings in the US.
The average technical instructor salary is $68,086.
Are technical instructor jobs in demand?
Technical instructor job and salary trends over time
Technical instructor jobs over time
Technical instructor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,290 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 6,313 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 6,694 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 6,586 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 6,802 | 0.00% |
Average technical instructor salary over time
Technical instructor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $68,086 | $32.73 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $66,862 | $32.15 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $65,026 | $31.26 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | $63,165 | $30.37 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $62,015 | $29.81 | +2.4% |
Technical instructor jobs by state
Most common states for technical instructors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,239 | 22% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 207 | 22% |
| 3 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 130 | 22% |
| 4 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 157 | 21% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 150 | 20% |
| 6 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,044 | 19% |
| 7 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,739 | 17% |
| 8 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 330 | 17% |
| 9 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 135 | 16% |
| 10 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,865 | 15% |
| 11 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 454 | 14% |
| 12 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 417 | 14% |
| 13 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 301 | 14% |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 733 | 13% |
| 15 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 672 | 13% |
| 16 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 469 | 13% |
| 17 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 390 | 13% |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,554 | 12% |
| 19 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 1,209 | 12% |
| 20 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 773 | 12% |
Most common cities for technical instructors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Herndon | 2 | 8% | $68,980 |
| 2 | Cambridge | 6 | 5% | $77,838 |
| 3 | Fayetteville | 8 | 4% | $61,468 |
| 4 | Council Bluffs | 2 | 3% | $73,400 |
| 5 | Hollywood | 3 | 2% | $61,057 |
| 6 | Troy | 2 | 2% | $83,300 |
| 7 | Apopka | 1 | 2% | $62,497 |
| 8 | Aurora | 4 | 1% | $69,021 |
| 9 | Tampa | 2 | 1% | $62,207 |
| 10 | Bayamn | 1 | 1% | $59,239 |
| 11 | Chicago | 4 | 0% | $57,234 |
| 12 | Baltimore | 3 | 0% | $64,320 |
| 13 | Los Angeles | 3 | 0% | $94,737 |
| 14 | Fort Worth | 2 | 0% | $86,126 |
| 15 | Jacksonville | 2 | 0% | $63,078 |
| 16 | Memphis | 2 | 0% | $65,977 |
| 17 | Portland | 2 | 0% | $97,036 |
Technical Instructor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of technical instructor experts
Tiffin University
Mercy College
Arkansas Tech University
Northern Seminary
Franklin and Marshall College
AGWA - American Grant Writers' Association, Inc.
Texas State University
Orange Coast College
Dr. Stephanie Opfer
Associate Professor of English, Assistant Dean of the School of Creative and Media ArtsTiffin University
Visual And Performing Arts
What will help Technical Instructors increase their earning potential?
Dr. Stephanie Opfer: Unfortunately, teaching as an adjunct does not pay well. Students should keep their full-time jobs and teach part-time until they find a full-time job at a college or university. That part-time teaching provides them valuable experience and connections that make them more competitive candidates for full-time positions because they'd also be competing with candidates who have PhDs. So adjunct work is more of a long-term investment rather than an immediate return. Also, even full-time teaching jobs don't pay particularly well, so they'll really need to love teaching if they want to do it full-time. If they don't like teaching as an adjunct, they won't like doing it full-time.
Dr. Eric Martone
Interim Dean of the School of Education, Associate Professor, History/Social Studies Education, Editor, Global Education ReviewMercy College
School of Education
What skills will help Technical Instructors earn the most?
Dr. Eric Martone: Educators who are compassionate, with strong leadership skills, willing to make take chances to make a difference.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Technical Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
Sam Strasner: It will be fascinating to see if the pandemic convention of Zoom-style interviews becoming permissible for broadcast television and internet news websites will carry over in a post-pandemic world. If it does, distance technology interviews will open up a cost-efficient way to access a much greater variety of sources, stories, and content. I hope that is the case.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Technical Instructor job market given the pandemic?
Rev. Tracey Bianchi: In pastoral ministry, the pandemic has forced many religious institutions and organizations to deliver worship and other elements of spiritual practice online. How faith-based communities do everything from weddings to funerals to worship services has shifted online. While churches and other religious gatherings must continue to employ pastors and still need ordained leaders, the job market has shifted to favor those who also have skills in producing and creating rich online content. Churches with resources are now pivoting to hire content managers and production teams who can help shape and craft meaningful online content that is easy to deliver.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Technical Instructors in the next 3-5 years?
David McMahan Ph.D.: Technology is moving so fast that it is unpredictable. One of the most important skills you can have is working with a several thousand years old technology: writing. If you're a good writer, it opens up possibilities that aren't there for those who can't write.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Technical Instructors?
John Porter Ph.D.: Grant writing is a very consistent business. It does not matter if the market is up or down or which party is in office. If the economy is down and money is tight, business tends to turn towards grant funding to supplement revenue. If the economy is strong, the company has a little extra cash and is willing to explore grant funding.
When unemployment rises and it isn't easy to find employment, more people will start their own business. If that business is a non-profit, it could receive grant funding for their programs and activities.
Grant writing is an excellent full-time, and part-time opportunity. Many, mostly non-profit organizations, seek Certified Grant Writers to help compensate for the lack of revenue, which has occurred from the recent economic shutdown. Independent Grant Consultants have a lot of control over the number and type of clients they work with, from a few each month to as many as there is time to do.
Certified Grant Writers are in high demand to compensate for issues like the recovery from the economic shutdown, rising taxes, and other financial strains,
What type of skills will young Technical Instructors need?
Dr. Rodney Rohde Ph.D.: I like to tell everyone that the Medical Laboratory degree (at any level, Associates, Bachelors, Masters, and now Doctoral, DCLS) is like majoring in four areas. One of the most rigorous degrees one can obtain, and the professional career is no different because we are continually learning, based on the real-time, best medical evidence of laboratory medicine.
Here are some broad strokes for what new graduates will need in the coming years - 1. Communication skills; 2. Problem-solving and troubleshooting; 3. Use their math and science skills, especially the core foundations of medical laboratory science - hematology, immunohematology (blood bank), clinical chemistry, and microbiology; 4. Professionalism (manage yourself, others, time, and things); 5. Self-starter with the ability to work alone and in groups across healthcare and with the public; 6. Empathy and sympathy for colleagues as well as the patients we serve.
How do you envision technology impacting Technical Instructors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Rodney Rohde Ph.D.: Technology in laboratory automation and laboratory information systems (LIS) will continue to explode in the future. We've seen this over the past decade or two, and there is no reason to believe that technology, especially in the area of molecular diagnostics, will not continue to increase.
Rodney Foster
Instructor - Aviation Maintenance Technology Instructor - Airframe & Powerplant TechnologyOrange Coast College
Engineering
What general advice would you give to a Technical Instructor?
Rodney Foster: Orange Coast College (OCC) teaches Aircraft Maintenance Technology (AMT) and Avionics. Although the Government has dampened air travel by putting up restrictions to prevent a Covid-19 spread, there is still a certified mechanic/skilled labor shortage. I believe all our students will have permanent jobs within a six-month search. OCC AMT is listed as an essential workforce by the state of California and is back in classes full-time, Face-to-face labs, and online lectures. Our next semester registration maximum filled in two days and still has over 35 additional students per class on the waiting list.