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

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Flight Instructor jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Andrews, MD (27.4% above average), followed by Nicasio, CA and Occidental, CA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Andrews, MD $120,564 $10,047 $2,318 $57.96 Nicasio, CA $118,043 $9,836 $2,270 $56.75 Occidental, CA $117,551 $9,795 $2,260 $56.51 Nome, AK $117,375 $9,781 $2,257 $56.43 Redwood City, CA $115,848 $9,654 $2,227 $55.70 Fort Belvoir, VA $114,208 $9,517 $2,196 $54.91 Sitka, AK $113,986 $9,498 $2,192 $54.80 San Bruno, CA $113,041 $9,420 $2,173 $54.35 Justin, TX $111,744 $9,312 $2,148 $53.72 Menlo Park, CA $111,505 $9,292 $2,144 $53.61

Flight Instructor

Flight Instructor Salary

Q: How much does a Flight Instructor make?

The average annual pay for a flight instructor in the United States is $94,620 a year — that works out to approximately $45.49 an hour. The middle 80% of Flight Instructors earn between $55,000 (10th percentile) and $122,500 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

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

We found several jobs related to Flight Instructor in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Medical Helicopter Pilot at $5,629 (5.9%) above Flight Instructor. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Medical Helicopter Pilot $100,249 $8,354 $1,927 $48.20 Med Flight Pilot $87,144 $7,262 $1,675 $41.90 Aircraft Marshal $80,655 $6,721 $1,551 $38.78 Airline Baggage Coordinator $61,620 $5,135 $1,185 $29.62 Airport Cargo $38,524 $3,210 $740 $18.52

$25K

$98.5K

$145.5K

$94,620

/year

$45.49

/hour

Flight Instructor Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$94,620

Columbus

Ohio

$91,393

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How much does a Flight Instructor make?

As of Jul 26, 2026, the average annual pay for a Flight Instructor in the United States is $94,620 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $45.49 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,819/week or $7,885/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $145,500 and as low as $25,000, the majority of Flight Instructor salaries currently range between $69,000 (25th percentile) to $112,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $122,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Flight Instructor varies greatly (by as much as 43000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A Flight Instructor in your area makes on average $91,393 per year, or $3,227 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $94,620. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Flight Instructor salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for 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 Flight Instructor on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Flight Instructor Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Flight Instructor job is above the national average. Topping the list is Andrews, MD, , with Nicasio, CA, and Occidental, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Occidental, CA, beats the national average by $22,931 (24.2%), and Andrews, MD, furthers that trend with another $25,944 (27.4%) above the $94,620 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a 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 7% between Andrews, MD, and Menlo Park, 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 Flight Instructor role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Andrews, MD	$120,564	$10,047	$2,318	$57.96
Nicasio, CA	$118,043	$9,836	$2,270	$56.75
Occidental, CA	$117,551	$9,795	$2,260	$56.51
Nome, AK	$117,375	$9,781	$2,257	$56.43
Redwood City, CA	$115,848	$9,654	$2,227	$55.70
Fort Belvoir, VA	$114,208	$9,517	$2,196	$54.91
Sitka, AK	$113,986	$9,498	$2,192	$54.80
San Bruno, CA	$113,041	$9,420	$2,173	$54.35
Justin, TX	$111,744	$9,312	$2,148	$53.72
Menlo Park, CA	$111,505	$9,292	$2,144	$53.61

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

Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Flight Instructor job category, we found that Medical Helicopter Pilot jobs have average salaries greater than Flight Instructor jobs.

Significantly, Medical Helicopter Pilot jobs pay $5,629 (5.9%) more than the average Flight Instructor salary of $94,620. If you're qualified, finding work as a Medical Helicopter Pilot may help you make more money than that of the average Flight Instructor position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Medical Helicopter Pilot	$100,249	$8,354	$1,927	$48.20
Med Flight Pilot	$87,144	$7,262	$1,675	$41.90
Aircraft Marshal	$80,655	$6,721	$1,551	$38.78
Airline Baggage Coordinator	$61,620	$5,135	$1,185	$29.62
Airport Cargo	$38,524	$3,210	$740	$18.52

About Our Data

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

Infographic detailing Flight Instructor salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $94,620 per year or $45.49 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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