What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Chief Flight Instructor?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Chief Flight Instructor jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Berkeley, CA (22.4% above average), followed by Sitka, AK and San Francisco, CA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Berkeley, CA $156,502 $13,041 $3,009 $75.24 Sitka, AK $153,976 $12,831 $2,961 $74.03 San Francisco, CA $150,403 $12,533 $2,892 $72.31 San Jose, CA $150,124 $12,510 $2,887 $72.17 Santa Clara, CA $150,111 $12,509 $2,886 $72.17 Sunnyvale, CA $150,010 $12,500 $2,884 $72.12 Livermore, CA $149,925 $12,493 $2,883 $72.08 Waimea, HI $149,075 $12,422 $2,866 $71.67 Alameda, CA $148,226 $12,352 $2,850 $71.26 Daly City, CA $148,098 $12,341 $2,848 $71.20

Chief Flight Instructor

Chief Flight Instructor Salary

Q: How much does a Chief Flight Instructor make?

The average annual pay for a chief flight instructor in the United States is $127,815 a year — that works out to approximately $61.45 an hour. The middle 80% of Chief Flight Instructors earn between $94,500 (10th percentile) and $166,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Chief Flight Instructor Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Chief Flight Instructor in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Pipeline Safety Inspector at $40,644 (31.8%) above Chief Flight Instructor. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Pipeline Safety Inspector $87,171 $7,264 $1,676 $41.91 Port Authority Police Officer $62,148 $5,179 $1,195 $29.88 Flight Operation Officer $58,871 $4,905 $1,132 $28.30 Rescue Mission $52,674 $4,389 $1,012 $25.32 Ramp Service Employee $34,748 $2,895 $668 $16.71

$79K

$122.5K

$202K

$127,815

/year

$61.45

/hour

Chief Flight Instructor Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$127,815

Columbus

Ohio

$123,456

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How much does a Chief Flight Instructor make?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average annual pay for a Chief Flight Instructor in the United States is $127,815 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $61.45 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,457/week or $10,651/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $202,000 and as low as $79,000, the majority of Chief Flight Instructor salaries currently range between $110,000 (25th percentile) to $137,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $166,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Chief Flight Instructor varies greatly (by as much as 27500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A Chief Flight Instructor in your area makes on average $123,456 per year, or $4,359 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $127,815. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Chief Flight Instructor salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Chief Flight Instructor jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Chief Flight Instructor on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Chief Flight Instructor Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Chief Flight Instructor job is above the national average. Topping the list is Berkeley, CA, , with Sitka, AK, and San Francisco, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. San Francisco, CA, beats the national average by $22,588 (17.7%), and Berkeley, CA, furthers that trend with another $28,687 (22.4%) above the $127,815 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Chief Flight Instructor appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Berkeley, CA, and Daly City, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Chief Flight Instructor role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Berkeley, CA	$156,502	$13,041	$3,009	$75.24
Sitka, AK	$153,976	$12,831	$2,961	$74.03
San Francisco, CA	$150,403	$12,533	$2,892	$72.31
San Jose, CA	$150,124	$12,510	$2,887	$72.17
Santa Clara, CA	$150,111	$12,509	$2,886	$72.17
Sunnyvale, CA	$150,010	$12,500	$2,884	$72.12
Livermore, CA	$149,925	$12,493	$2,883	$72.08
Waimea, HI	$149,075	$12,422	$2,866	$71.67
Alameda, CA	$148,226	$12,352	$2,850	$71.26
Daly City, CA	$148,098	$12,341	$2,848	$71.20

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Chief Flight Instructor Jobs in the U.S.

Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Chief Flight Instructor job category, we found that Pipeline Safety Inspector jobs have average salaries similar than Chief Flight Instructor jobs.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Pipeline Safety Inspector	$87,171	$7,264	$1,676	$41.91
Port Authority Police Officer	$62,148	$5,179	$1,195	$29.88
Flight Operation Officer	$58,871	$4,905	$1,132	$28.30
Rescue Mission	$52,674	$4,389	$1,012	$25.32
Ramp Service Employee	$34,748	$2,895	$668	$16.71

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Chief Flight Instructor salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $127,815 per year or $61.45 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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