Defensive Driving Instructor Salary
$13K - $19.5K
1% of jobs
$19.5K - $26K
2% of jobs
$26K - $32.5K
5% of jobs
$36.7K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$32.5K - $39K
26% of jobs
The median wage is $41.4K / yr.
$39K - $45.5K
43% of jobs
$45.5K - $52K
13% of jobs
$52K - $58.5K
4% of jobs
$58.5K - $65K
2% of jobs
$65K - $71.5K
1% of jobs
$71.5K - $78K
2% of jobs
$78K - $84.5K
1% of jobs
$13K
$40K
$82.5K
$44,459
/year
$21.37
/hour
Defensive Driving Instructor Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$44,459
Columbus
Ohio
$42,943
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How much does a Defensive Driving Instructor make?
As of Jul 26, 2026, the average annual pay for a Defensive Driving Instructor in the United States is $44,459 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $21.37 an hour. This is the equivalent of $854/week or $3,704/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $82,500 and as low as $13,000, the majority of Defensive Driving Instructor salaries currently range between $36,000 (25th percentile) to $45,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $60,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Defensive Driving Instructor varies greatly (by as much as 9000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Defensive Driving Instructor in your area makes on average $42,943 per year, or $1,516 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $44,459. Ohio ranks number 42 out of 50 states nationwide for Defensive Driving Instructor salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Defensive Driving Instructor jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Defensive Driving Instructor on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Defensive Driving Instructor Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Defensive Driving Instructor job is above the national average. Topping the list is Barrow, AK, , with Nome, AK, and Cupertino, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Cupertino, CA, beats the national average by $10,393 (23.4%), and Barrow, AK, furthers that trend with another $10,927 (24.6%) above the $44,459 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Defensive Driving Instructor appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Barrow, AK, and Richmond, 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 Defensive Driving Instructor role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Barrow, AK | $55,386 | $26.63 |
Nome, AK | $55,152 | $26.52 |
Cupertino, CA | $54,852 | $26.37 |
Berkeley, CA | $54,438 | $26.17 |
San Carlos, CA | $53,684 | $25.81 |
Sitka, AK | $53,559 | $25.75 |
San Francisco, CA | $52,358 | $25.17 |
Livermore, CA | $52,150 | $25.07 |
San Jose, CA | $52,106 | $25.05 |
Richmond, CA | $51,895 | $24.95 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Defensive Driving Instructor Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Defensive Driving Instructor category.
For example Uts Transportation jobs pay as much as $30,242 (68.0%) more than the average Defensive Driving Instructor salary of $44,459. If you're qualified, finding work as a Uts Transportation may help you make more money than that of the average Defensive Driving Instructor position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Uts Transportation | $74,701 | $35.91 |
19A Examiner | $61,362 | $29.50 |
Independent Driver | $56,645 | $27.23 |
Small Truck Driver | $56,348 | $27.09 |
Limousine Driver | $45,572 | $21.91 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
