Teachers and Instructors, All Other Salary
The median teachers and instructors, all other salary in the United States is $66,140 per year. Salaries range from $37,010 at the entry level to $118,020+ for the top 10% of earners. There are 113,790 teachers and instructors, all other jobs nationwide. Employment is projected to decline 0.1% through 2034.
Last updated: June 2026 Β· Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Salary Distribution
Job Growth (2024-2034)
Annual Openings
Education Required
Teachers and Instructors, All Other Career Guide
Interview questions, resume templates, and a career ladder written specifically for teachers and instructors, all others.
This is the BLS catch-all category for teachers and instructors who don't map to K-12, postsecondary, or vocational SOC codes. It covers postsecondary instructors in specialty programs, corporate trainers not otherwise classified, adult basic education (ABE) and adult secondary education (ASE) teachers, high school equivalency (HSE / GED) instructors, English Language Acquisition (ELA / ESL) adult instructors, and continuing-education instructors in for-profit training academies. BLS pegs the occupation at 113,790 employed with median $66,140, p10 $37,340, p90 $107,290. Entry adjunct and adult-ed instructors start $38-52k; established mid-career trainers and adult-ed lead teachers land $62-82k; senior corporate trainers and program directors reach $85-108k+. Employers span community-college adult education departments (Miami Dade College, Lone Star College, Ivy Tech, Pima), workforce-development boards (state and local WIOA-funded programs), for-profit training academies (Kaplan, Pearson, Instructure), and corporate L&D functions at Fortune 500 companies (Deloitte, EY, JPMorgan Chase, IBM, Microsoft). CPTM (Certified Professional in Talent Management) and CPLP / APTD (Association for Talent Development) plus adult-ed state certifications unlock the top of the ladder.
Core Skills Hiring Managers Screen For
How to Become a Teachers and Instructors, All Other
- 1Earn a bachelor's or master's β content area + adult education / instructional design coursework preferredPostsecondary and corporate trainer roles typically require a master's in the content area or a related field. Adult basic education instructors often need only a bachelor's plus a state adult-ed teaching credential or a specific certification (varies by state). For workplace training, an M.Ed. in Adult Learning or Instructional Design (WGU, Boise State, Purdue, Penn State World Campus, San Diego State) is the highest-signal credential.
- 2Start as an adjunct, adult-ed instructor, or corporate trainer L&D specialist$38-52k adult-ed + adjunct; $52-68k entry corporate trainer. Postsecondary adjuncts often teach 2-4 courses per semester at $2,500-4,500 per course; adult-ed instructors work hourly at $22-38/hour depending on state; corporate L&D specialists work salaried with benefits.
- 3Earn a professional credential β CPLP / APTD (ATD), CPTM (Training Industry), or state adult-ed teaching license$5-10k pay premium at most employers. ATD's CPTD (formerly CPLP) is the gold standard for corporate L&D. APTD is the intermediate credential (3-year experience minimum). CPTM (Certified Professional in Training Management) targets training-manager roles specifically. State adult-ed licenses (California CTE / Adult Ed Credential, Texas ABE certification, etc.) unlock full-time public-adult-ed positions.
- 4Move into a Sr Trainer, Lead Adult-Ed Instructor, or Instructional Designer role$65-85k. Own program-level curriculum, mentor junior trainers or instructors, lead a cohort or a business-unit training track. This is the fork in the ladder β corporate L&D vs. postsecondary adjunct-lead vs. public-adult-ed director.
- 5Advance to Training Manager, Program Director, or Sr Instructional Designer$85-115k+. Own a training program (technical certification path, leadership development, WIOA-funded adult-ed cohort) with budget authority and 2-8 direct reports. From here the ladder splits into corporate L&D leadership (Head of L&D, VP Talent Development at $135-225k+) or higher-ed academic administration (Dean of Continuing Education, Director of Workforce Development at $105-165k+).
Career Progression
- β’Teach 2-6 course sections per semester or year (adjunct / adult-ed) or deliver 30-80 training sessions annually (corporate)
- β’Grade assessments, hold office hours, submit final grades within institutional deadlines
- β’Follow institutional or corporate curriculum; contribute minor modifications for your section
- β’Complete required compliance training (FERPA, Title IX, harassment prevention)
- β’Own program-level curriculum design for a track or specialty
- β’Mentor 2-5 junior instructors or trainers; deliver observation feedback
- β’Lead cross-functional projects (LMS migration, curriculum redesign, accreditation review)
- β’Report Kirkpatrick Level 1-3 outcomes for your program
- β’Own a full training program or academic unit with $200k-1.5M annual budget
- β’Manage 3-8 direct reports (instructors, designers, coordinators)
- β’Report to VP Talent, Dean of Continuing Education, or Executive Director
- β’Own accreditation, funding-source (WIOA, Perkins, corporate charge-back), and business-metric outcomes
- β’Own enterprise or institution-wide learning strategy
- β’Lead 12-60+ person L&D organization or academic unit
- β’Report to CHRO, CEO (corporate), or Provost / VP Academic Affairs (postsecondary)
- β’Drive business impact β turnover reduction, skills-mobility metrics, credential-completion rates
Interview Questions & Answers
5 free questions below. Career Kit unlocks 17 total plus resume bullets for every level.
Q1. Walk me through how you'd design a new training program from scratch.technical
Q2. How do you handle an adult learner who challenges your credibility or the content?situational
Q3. Describe a training program you built that had measurable business impact.behavioral
Q4. Why teaching / training rather than staying in the content-area role?culture
Q5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?closer
Resume Template β Sr Corporate Trainer / Sr Adult-Ed Instructor (3-8 yrs)
Copy these bullets into your resume as a starting point. Career Kit includes bullets for every level of the ladder.
- βΈRedesigned sales-onboarding discovery-skill module; year-1 quota attainment for new hires rose from 34% to 61% (n=87 new hires over 24 months); estimated $8.2M in incremental revenue.
- βΈDelivered 62 instructor-led and virtual sessions annually to 1,240+ learners at Fortune 500 accounts; Level 1 satisfaction score 4.7/5; Level 3 behavior-transfer rate 74% at 90 days post-course (rubric-measured).
- βΈAPTD (ATD) certified; enrolled in CPTD program. M.Ed. Adult Learning & Instructional Design (Boise State).
- βΈ$78k base + 8% target STI + $6k RSU + full benefits. Reports to Sr Manager Learning & Development.
What Gets You Rejected
- βPowerPoint-heavy, lecture-heavy delivery β modern adult learning is 60-70% activity, and interviewers screen out lecture-only trainers.
- βCannot name Kirkpatrick's 4 levels or ADDIE β table-stakes for any real training role.
- βNo LMS experience β every real role expects Canvas / Blackboard / Cornerstone / Workday Learning / Docebo proficiency.
- βAssessment design is only Level 1 smile sheet β no Level 2 pre/post-test, no Level 3 behavior check, no Level 4 business metric.
- βNo credential path β 3+ years in training and no progress on APTD / CPTD / CPTM / M.Ed. Adult Learning signals stagnation.
Salary Negotiation Levers
- βCredential premium β CPTD or CPTM adds $8-15k to base at most corporate L&D employers. APTD adds $5-10k. State adult-ed license adds $3-8k on the salary schedule at community colleges.
- βIndustry premium β corporate L&D at Fortune 500 tech, biotech, and financial services pays 20-40% above adult-ed and adjunct roles at community colleges. Consulting (Deloitte Learning, PwC Academy, EY Learning) pays 15-25% above corporate L&D at each rung.
- βSpecialty premium β leadership development trainers, executive coaches, and technical trainers (cloud, cybersecurity, AI/ML) command 15-30% premium over generalist trainers.
- βMetro adjustment β corporate L&D roles in NYC, SF, Seattle, Boston pay 20-35% above the BLS national median. Adult-ed roles in California, New York, and Massachusetts pay 15-30% above the BLS national median due to state funding.
- βModality premium β trainers who can design and deliver in three modalities (ILT, virtual live, self-paced e-learning) command $5-15k above single-modality trainers.
- βPSLF eligibility β public adult-ed and community-college roles are PSLF-eligible; confirm employer 501(c)(3) or public status at hire.
- βAdjunct-course-load bump β many postsecondary institutions cap adjunct load at 2-3 courses per semester as an anti-benefits-eligibility practice. Push for the 3rd or 4th course, or for a full-time non-tenure-track lecturer role with benefits.
Teachers and Instructors, All Other Resume Review β $29
Personalized resume review from someone who has hired teachers and instructors, all others. Purchase, email your resume to support@weblabra.com, and receive detailed written feedback within 7 days.
- β Occupation-specific critique (not generic)
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- β 30β60β90 day plan for your first role
- β Cover letter templates specific to this occupation
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Teachers and Instructors, All Other Salary by State
Best Cities (cost-adjusted) βSalary Map β Click a state for details
Top Paying States
| State | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $130,480 | +97.3% |
| Massachusetts | $100,610 | +52.1% |
| Kansas | $94,520 | +42.9% |
| Maryland | $94,070 | +42.2% |
| District of Columbia | $93,040 | +40.7% |
| California | $87,460 | +32.2% |
| Virginia | $85,280 | +28.9% |
| Maine | $84,330 | +27.5% |
| New York | $78,300 | +18.4% |
| Washington | $77,720 | +17.5% |
Teachers and Instructors, All Other Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $128,150 | +93.8% |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $124,490 | +88.2% |
| Salinas, CA | $113,360 | +71.4% |
| Fresno, CA | $105,200 | +59.1% |
| Modesto, CA | $103,910 | +57.1% |
| Boulder, CO | $102,160 | +54.5% |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $101,050 | +52.8% |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $100,610 | +52.1% |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $99,820 | +50.9% |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $99,430 | +50.3% |