How much does a Behavior Instructor make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Behavior Instructor in the United States is $61,742 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.
However, a Behavior Instructor's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $75,387
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $54,906 to $68,884
Key Factors That Influence Behavior Instructor Salaries
A Behavior Instructor's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Behavior Instructor Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Behavior Instructor's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here’s how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $61,078
Early Career (1-2 years): $61,268
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $63,750
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $67,017
Expert (over 8 years): $67,251
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Behavior Instructor
$61,078
Intermediate Level Behavior Instructor
$61,268
Senior Level Behavior Instructor
$63,750
Specialist Level Behavior Instructor
$67,017
Expert Level Behavior Instructor
$67,251
$61,0780 yr
$61,268< 2 yrs
$63,7502-4 yrs
$67,0175-8 yrs
$67,251> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Behavior Instructor Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Behavior Instructors.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $68,361.
California: $68,102.
Massachusetts: $67,194.
District of Columbia$68,361
California$68,102
Massachusetts$67,194
Washington$66,947
New Jersey$66,922
Alaska$66,836
Connecticut$65,984
New York$65,638
Hawaii$64,533
Rhode Island$64,014
Maryland$63,662
Minnesota$63,181
Colorado$62,996
Illinois$62,934
Oregon$62,699
Delaware$62,526
New Hampshire$62,418
Virginia$62,174
Pennsylvania$61,464
Nevada$61,106
North Dakota$60,989
Michigan$60,804
Wisconsin$60,736
Vermont$60,600
Texas$60,223
Maine$60,199
Arizona$60,162
Ohio$60,118
Georgia$59,550
Indiana$59,266
Wyoming$59,211
Utah$59,124
Iowa$59,087
Kansas$58,791
Louisiana$58,705
North Carolina$58,674
Missouri$58,661
Florida$58,421
Montana$58,291
Nebraska$58,167
Kentucky$58,100
South Carolina$57,853
Tennessee$57,698
Idaho$57,636
New Mexico$57,186
Oklahoma$57,087
Alabama$56,723
South Dakota$56,111
Arkansas$55,778
West Virginia$55,599
Mississippi$55,062
Top Paying Cities for Behavior Instructors
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $77,876
San Francisco: $77,023
Oakland: $75,400
San Jose, CA$77,876
San Francisco, CA$77,023
Oakland, CA$75,400
New York, NY$71,089
Paramus, NJ$70,225
Queens Village, NY$70,222
Passaic, NJ$70,163
Bergenfield, NJ$70,158
Stamford, CT$70,022
Huntington, NY$69,997
Newark, NJ$69,540
Bridgeport, CT$69,410
Vallejo, CA$69,287
New Brunswick, NJ$69,263
Petaluma, CA$69,225
Middlesex, NJ$69,108
Somerset, NJ$69,065
Santa Cruz, CA$68,985
Boston, MA$68,608
Monterey, CA$68,391
Seattle, WA$68,250
Santa Rosa, CA$68,238
Los Angeles, CA$68,219
Juneau, AK$68,059
Washington, DC$67,991
Orange, CA$67,771
Santa Ana, CA$67,608
Long Beach, CA$67,546
Anaheim, CA$67,534
Anchorage, AK$67,503
Santa Maria, CA$67,318
Everett, WA$67,305
Danbury, CT$67,088
Bremerton, WA$67,003
Tacoma, WA$66,780
New Suffolk, NY$66,779
Sacramento, CA$66,762
Santa Barbara, CA$66,694
Trenton, NJ$66,626
San Diego, CA$66,626
Brockton, MA$66,558
Fairbanks, AK$66,407
Lompoc, CA$66,249
Lowell, MA$66,199
Ventura, CA$66,188
Nashua, NH$66,175
Stockton, CA$66,169
Modesto, CA$65,719
Poughkeepsie, NY$65,583
Olympia, WA$65,465
Kennewick, WA$65,465
New Haven, CT$65,441
Lawrence, MA$65,218
Hartford, CT$65,157
Riverside, CA$65,144
New Bedford, MA$65,083
Richland, WA$65,083
Bakersfield, CA$64,996
San Bernardino, CA$64,971
New Britain, CT$64,965
Atlantic City, NJ$64,965
New London, CT$64,941
Norwich, CT$64,922
Portsmouth, NH$64,910
Boulder, CO$64,779
Portland, OR$64,694
Worcester, MA$64,687
Minneapolis, MN$64,496
Philadelphia, PA$64,410
Honolulu, HI$64,206
Saint Paul, MN$64,176
Vineland, NJ$64,163
Providence, RI$63,984
Chicago, IL$63,804
Bellingham, WA$63,730
Springfield, MA$63,681
Baltimore, MD$63,662
Chico, CA$63,508
Pittsfield, MA$63,341
Manchester, NH$63,224
Spokane, WA$62,952
Denver, CO$62,946
Albany, NY$62,656
Troy, NY$62,631
Nassau, NY$62,565
Schenectady, NY$62,502
Wilmington, DE$62,452
Burlington, VT$62,366
Salem, OR$62,341
Portland, ME$62,150
Yakima, WA$62,088
Rochester, MN$61,897
Reno, NV$61,866
Fresno, CA$61,866
Milwaukee, WI$61,810
Detroit, MI$61,748
Ann Arbor, MI$61,738
Allentown, PA$61,730
Colorado Springs, CO$61,625
Syracuse, NY$61,594
Carson City, NV$61,594
Houston, TX$61,508
Eugene, OR$61,477
Gary, IN$61,403
Springfield, OR$61,353
Bismarck, ND$61,341
Galveston, TX$61,298
Medford, OR$61,205
Fort Collins, CO$61,180
Concord, NH$61,150
Austin, TX$61,131
Mesa, AZ$61,001
Reading, PA$60,995
Phoenix, AZ$60,989
Dallas, TX$60,971
Saint Cloud, MN$60,911
Madison, WI$60,829
Utica, NY$60,662
Rochester, NY$60,563
Des Moines, IA$60,557
Raleigh, NC$60,551
Atlanta, GA$60,458
Battle Creek, MI$60,440
Salt Lake City, UT$60,421
Lancaster, PA$60,328
Harrisburg, PA$60,242
Kansas City, MO$60,180
Champaign, IL$60,168
Kansas City, KS$60,168
Fort Worth, TX$60,162
Columbus, OH$60,151
Boca Raton, FL$60,137
Pittsburgh, PA$60,112
Richmond, VA$60,088
Indianapolis, IN$60,075
Cleveland, OH$60,069
Las Vegas, NV$59,995
Cincinnati, OH$59,995
Petersburg, VA$59,902
Huntsville, AL$59,810
Lansing, MI$59,768
Lebanon, PA$59,760
Pueblo, CO$59,754
Appleton, WI$59,736
Buffalo, NY$59,711
Dayton, OH$59,692
Racine, WI$59,680
Charlotte, NC$59,674
Saint Louis, MO$59,655
York, PA$59,618
Elkhart, IN$59,618
Gastonia, NC$59,607
Billings, MT$59,592
Beaumont, TX$59,575
Lorain, OH$59,563
Benton Harbor, MI$59,550
Toledo, OH$59,538
Binghamton, NY$59,507
Rock Hill, SC$59,501
Rockford, IL$59,470
Springfield, IL$59,445
Elyria, OH$59,439
Fargo, ND$59,439
Flagstaff, AZ$59,396
Fort Lauderdale, FL$59,359
Duluth, MN$59,322
Miami, FL$59,322
Cheyenne, WY$59,279
Grand Forks, ND$59,279
Bangor, ME$59,143
Cedar Rapids, IA$59,075
Durham, NC$59,049
Louisville, KY$59,044
Grand Rapids, MI$59,032
Hialeah, FL$59,026
Casper, WY$58,939
Scranton, PA$58,865
New Orleans, LA$58,847
Virginia Beach, VA$58,840
Akron, OH$58,810
Peoria, IL$58,729
Sarasota, FL$58,717
Nashville, TN$58,674
Omaha, NE$58,674
Green Bay, WI$58,674
Baton Rouge, LA$58,643
Charleston, SC$58,630
Jamestown, NY$58,600
Davenport, IA$58,600
Tucson, AZ$58,569
Saint Petersburg, FL$58,532
Tampa, FL$58,519
Evansville, IN$58,482
Port Arthur, TX$58,482
Bradenton, FL$58,458
Santa Fe, NM$58,346
Orlando, FL$58,235
Clearwater, FL$58,217
Canton, OH$58,087
La Crosse, WI$58,087
Albuquerque, NM$58,050
Newport News, VA$58,044
High Point, NC$58,025
Ogden, UT$58,001
Corpus Christi, TX$57,951
Norfolk, VA$57,914
Laramie, WY$57,914
Rock Island, IL$57,877
Saginaw, MI$57,865
Jacksonville, FL$57,859
Salisbury, NC$57,846
Boise, ID$57,834
Moline, IL$57,803
Fort Myers, FL$57,785
Memphis, TN$57,772
Tulsa, OK$57,741
Waterloo, IA$57,704
Spartanburg, SC$57,643
Lincoln, NE$57,612
Fort Wayne, IN$57,599
Provo, UT$57,593
Cedar Falls, IA$57,519
San Antonio, TX$57,494
Greensboro, NC$57,470
South Bend, IN$57,464
Savannah, GA$57,396
Muskegon, MI$57,371
Birmingham, AL$57,365
Winston Salem, NC$57,335
Lake Charles, LA$57,186
Anderson, IN$57,173
Lexington, KY$57,155
Augusta, GA$57,136
Greenville, SC$57,136
Lima, OH$57,087
Wichita, KS$57,081
Tuscaloosa, AL$57,081
Columbia, SC$57,025
Springfield, OH$57,013
Asheville, NC$56,914
Bloomington, IN$56,871
Knoxville, TN$56,649
Shreveport, LA$56,642
Wilmington, NC$56,562
Roanoke, VA$56,562
Topeka, KS$56,451
Frankfort, KY$56,444
Oklahoma City, OK$56,402
Chillicothe, OH$56,377
Longview, TX$56,371
Melbourne, FL$56,365
Sioux Falls, SD$56,266
Mobile, AL$56,260
Terre Haute, IN$56,235
Altoona, PA$56,198
Amarillo, TX$56,155
Killeen, TX$56,136
Fayetteville, AR$56,087
Chattanooga, TN$56,068
Sioux City, IA$56,013
Idaho Falls, ID$56,000
Lynchburg, VA$55,951
Gainesville, FL$55,871
Portsmouth, OH$55,840
Little Rock, AR$55,827
Lafayette, LA$55,803
Youngstown, OH$55,803
Daytona Beach, FL$55,766
Clarksville, TN$55,759
Pensacola, FL$55,753
Temple, TX$55,749
Hopkinsville, KY$55,568
Erie, PA$55,556
Florence, SC$55,531
Charleston, WV$55,432
Great Falls, MT$55,401
Macon, GA$55,315
Tallahassee, FL$55,309
Fayetteville, NC$55,296
Waco, TX$55,284
Helena, MT$55,241
Pine Bluff, AR$55,217
Vincennes, IN$55,142
Lubbock, TX$55,117
Alamogordo, NM$55,080
Twin Falls, ID$55,025
Rapid City, SD$55,006
Jackson, MS$54,895
Huntington, WV$54,891
Greenville, MS$54,889
Parkersburg, WV$54,826
Montgomery, AL$54,815
Wichita Falls, TX$54,753
Springfield, MO$54,753
Biloxi, MS$54,722
Monroe, LA$54,660
Johnstown, PA$54,617
Sumter, SC$54,593
Columbus, GA$54,586
Pascagoula, MS$54,469
Abilene, TX$54,469
Kingsport, TN$54,309
Albany, GA$54,309
Gulfport, MS$54,290
Alexandria, LA$54,086
Fort Smith, AR$53,932
El Paso, TX$53,765
Las Cruces, NM$53,487
Harlingen, TX$53,331
Pocatello, ID$53,321
Florence, AL$53,240
Brownsville, TX$53,228
Mcallen, TX$53,098
Dothan, AL$53,012
Columbus, MS$52,645
Altus, OK$52,357
Lawton, OK$52,240
Pierre, SD$52,018
What Skills Can Increase a Behavior Instructor's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Planning (Mentioned in 7.82% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
Discharge Planning (Mentioned in 3.73% Job Postings): Developing a personalized plan to ensure the smooth transition of a patient from a health organization to the patient's home or residential care.
Patient Care (Mentioned in 2.13% Job Postings): Patient care refers to the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of physical and mental well-being through services offered by health professionals.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Planning
7.82%
Discharge Planning
3.73%
Patient Care
2.13%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Behavior Instructor's salary.
Care Management: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Patient Care: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Community Health: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Care Management
$66,064
7%
Patient Care
$65,447
6%
Community Health
$64,212
4%
Leadership
$64,212
4%
Organizing
$64,212
4%
Collaboration
$63,595
3%
Get Latest Data
Behavior Instructor Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Behavior Instructor roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Insurance,
offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely,
Behavior Instructor positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Behavior Instructor as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Behavior Instructor
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Insurance
$74,091
$36.0
20%
How Education impacts a Behavior Instructor's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Behavior Instructors enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Behavior Instructor with a Bachelor's Degree is between
$63,714
and $67,641).
Behavior Instructor Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for Behavior Instructor
No Diploma0.2%
High School2.3%
Associates3.7%
Bachelors82.5%
Masters10.9%
Doctorate0.5%
view as table
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
0.2%
High School
2.3%
Associates
3.7%
Bachelors
82.5%
Masters
10.9%
Doctorate
0.5%
view as graph
Behavior Instructor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Behavior Instructor's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a Behavior Instructor can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $74,537 in 2023
to around $70,926 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Behavior Instructor salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Behavior Instructor Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$74,537
2024
$72,363
2025
$70,926
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$74,537
2024
$72,363
2025
$70,926
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Behavior Instructor
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.
Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for Behavior Instructor
Here are companies hiring for Behavior Instructor and their salaries, click below for more details.
N
$97,099/per year
New York Police Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$95,962/per year
State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$94,615/per year
US Department of Transportation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$93,141/per year
US General Services Administration
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$92,342/per year
Los Angeles County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
D
$92,011/per year
Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,967/per year
US Department of Commerce
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,755/per year
US Department of Energy
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
F
$91,673/per year
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$90,276/per year
Naval Sea Systems Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,975/per year
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$88,721/per year
San Diego County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,664/per year
The TTB
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$87,569/per year
Lutheran Services
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
M
$85,066/per year
Maryland Inc
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$83,780/per year
State University of New York
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$82,969/per year
New York State
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
P
$82,703/per year
Puerto Rico Department of Education
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$80,526/per year
US Central Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
H
$80,286/per year
Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$79,270/per year
Air Force Reserve
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$78,505/per year
American Automobile Association (AAA)
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$76,678/per year
State of Florida - Department of Health
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$75,183/per year
New York State Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$75,106/per year
State University System of Florida
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
Find Your Next Behavior Instructor Job
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FAQ about Behavior Instructor
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Behavior Instructor?
The Insurance industry offers the highest average compensation for Behavior Instructor roles,
with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
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