How much does a Behavior Instructor make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Behavior Instructor in the United States is $61,744 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): $75,394
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $54,912 to $68,889
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): $61,079
Early Career (1-2 years): $61,269
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $63,751
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $67,020
Expert (over 8 years): $67,254
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Behavior Instructor
$61,079
Intermediate Level Behavior Instructor
$61,269
Senior Level Behavior Instructor
$63,751
Specialist Level Behavior Instructor
$67,020
Expert Level Behavior Instructor
$67,254
$61,0790 yr
$61,269< 2 yrs
$63,7512-4 yrs
$67,0205-8 yrs
$67,254> 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: $68,362.
California: $68,103.
Massachusetts: $67,195.
District of Columbia$68,362
California$68,103
Massachusetts$67,195
Washington$66,948
New Jersey$66,924
Alaska$66,837
Connecticut$65,985
New York$65,640
Hawaii$64,534
Rhode Island$64,016
Maryland$63,664
Minnesota$63,182
Colorado$62,997
Illinois$62,935
Oregon$62,701
Delaware$62,528
New Hampshire$62,419
Virginia$62,176
Pennsylvania$61,466
Nevada$61,108
North Dakota$60,990
Michigan$60,805
Wisconsin$60,737
Vermont$60,601
Texas$60,225
Maine$60,200
Arizona$60,163
Ohio$60,120
Georgia$59,552
Indiana$59,268
Wyoming$59,212
Utah$59,126
Iowa$59,089
Kansas$58,792
Louisiana$58,706
North Carolina$58,675
Missouri$58,662
Florida$58,422
Montana$58,292
Nebraska$58,169
Kentucky$58,101
South Carolina$57,854
Tennessee$57,699
Idaho$57,638
New Mexico$57,187
Oklahoma$57,088
Alabama$56,724
South Dakota$56,112
Arkansas$55,779
West Virginia$55,600
Mississippi$55,063
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: $77,877
San Francisco: $77,024
Oakland: $75,401
San Jose, CA$77,877
San Francisco, CA$77,024
Oakland, CA$75,401
New York, NY$71,091
Paramus, NJ$70,226
Queens Village, NY$70,223
Passaic, NJ$70,165
Bergenfield, NJ$70,159
Stamford, CT$70,023
Huntington, NY$69,998
Newark, NJ$69,542
Bridgeport, CT$69,411
Vallejo, CA$69,289
New Brunswick, NJ$69,264
Petaluma, CA$69,227
Middlesex, NJ$69,109
Somerset, NJ$69,066
Santa Cruz, CA$68,986
Boston, MA$68,609
Monterey, CA$68,393
Seattle, WA$68,251
Santa Rosa, CA$68,239
Los Angeles, CA$68,220
Juneau, AK$68,060
Washington, DC$67,992
Orange, CA$67,772
Santa Ana, CA$67,609
Long Beach, CA$67,547
Anaheim, CA$67,535
Anchorage, AK$67,504
Santa Maria, CA$67,319
Everett, WA$67,307
Danbury, CT$67,089
Bremerton, WA$67,004
Tacoma, WA$66,782
New Suffolk, NY$66,781
Sacramento, CA$66,763
Santa Barbara, CA$66,695
Trenton, NJ$66,627
San Diego, CA$66,627
Brockton, MA$66,559
Fairbanks, AK$66,408
Lompoc, CA$66,251
Lowell, MA$66,201
Ventura, CA$66,189
Nashua, NH$66,177
Stockton, CA$66,171
Modesto, CA$65,720
Poughkeepsie, NY$65,584
Olympia, WA$65,467
Kennewick, WA$65,467
New Haven, CT$65,442
Lawrence, MA$65,220
Hartford, CT$65,158
Riverside, CA$65,146
New Bedford, MA$65,084
Richland, WA$65,084
Bakersfield, CA$64,997
San Bernardino, CA$64,973
New Britain, CT$64,967
Atlantic City, NJ$64,967
New London, CT$64,942
Norwich, CT$64,923
Portsmouth, NH$64,911
Boulder, CO$64,780
Portland, OR$64,695
Worcester, MA$64,689
Minneapolis, MN$64,497
Philadelphia, PA$64,411
Honolulu, HI$64,207
Saint Paul, MN$64,177
Vineland, NJ$64,164
Providence, RI$63,985
Chicago, IL$63,806
Bellingham, WA$63,732
Springfield, MA$63,682
Baltimore, MD$63,664
Chico, CA$63,509
Pittsfield, MA$63,343
Manchester, NH$63,225
Spokane, WA$62,954
Denver, CO$62,947
Albany, NY$62,657
Troy, NY$62,633
Nassau, NY$62,567
Schenectady, NY$62,503
Wilmington, DE$62,454
Burlington, VT$62,367
Salem, OR$62,342
Portland, ME$62,151
Yakima, WA$62,089
Rochester, MN$61,898
Reno, NV$61,867
Fresno, CA$61,867
Milwaukee, WI$61,811
Detroit, MI$61,750
Ann Arbor, MI$61,739
Allentown, PA$61,731
Colorado Springs, CO$61,626
Syracuse, NY$61,595
Carson City, NV$61,595
Houston, TX$61,509
Eugene, OR$61,478
Gary, IN$61,404
Springfield, OR$61,355
Bismarck, ND$61,342
Galveston, TX$61,299
Medford, OR$61,206
Fort Collins, CO$61,182
Concord, NH$61,151
Austin, TX$61,132
Mesa, AZ$61,003
Reading, PA$60,996
Phoenix, AZ$60,990
Dallas, TX$60,972
Saint Cloud, MN$60,912
Madison, WI$60,830
Utica, NY$60,663
Rochester, NY$60,564
Des Moines, IA$60,558
Raleigh, NC$60,552
Atlanta, GA$60,459
Battle Creek, MI$60,441
Salt Lake City, UT$60,422
Lancaster, PA$60,330
Harrisburg, PA$60,243
Kansas City, MO$60,181
Champaign, IL$60,169
Kansas City, KS$60,169
Fort Worth, TX$60,163
Columbus, OH$60,152
Boca Raton, FL$60,138
Pittsburgh, PA$60,113
Richmond, VA$60,089
Indianapolis, IN$60,076
Cleveland, OH$60,070
Las Vegas, NV$59,996
Cincinnati, OH$59,996
Petersburg, VA$59,904
Huntsville, AL$59,811
Lansing, MI$59,770
Lebanon, PA$59,762
Pueblo, CO$59,755
Appleton, WI$59,737
Buffalo, NY$59,712
Dayton, OH$59,694
Racine, WI$59,681
Charlotte, NC$59,675
Saint Louis, MO$59,657
York, PA$59,620
Elkhart, IN$59,620
Gastonia, NC$59,608
Billings, MT$59,593
Beaumont, TX$59,576
Lorain, OH$59,564
Benton Harbor, MI$59,552
Toledo, OH$59,539
Binghamton, NY$59,508
Rock Hill, SC$59,502
Rockford, IL$59,471
Springfield, IL$59,447
Elyria, OH$59,440
Fargo, ND$59,440
Flagstaff, AZ$59,397
Fort Lauderdale, FL$59,360
Duluth, MN$59,323
Miami, FL$59,323
Cheyenne, WY$59,280
Grand Forks, ND$59,280
Bangor, ME$59,144
Cedar Rapids, IA$59,076
Durham, NC$59,050
Louisville, KY$59,045
Grand Rapids, MI$59,033
Hialeah, FL$59,027
Casper, WY$58,940
Scranton, PA$58,866
New Orleans, LA$58,848
Virginia Beach, VA$58,842
Akron, OH$58,811
Peoria, IL$58,730
Sarasota, FL$58,718
Nashville, TN$58,675
Omaha, NE$58,675
Green Bay, WI$58,675
Baton Rouge, LA$58,644
Charleston, SC$58,632
Jamestown, NY$58,601
Davenport, IA$58,601
Tucson, AZ$58,570
Saint Petersburg, FL$58,533
Tampa, FL$58,520
Evansville, IN$58,483
Port Arthur, TX$58,483
Bradenton, FL$58,459
Santa Fe, NM$58,348
Orlando, FL$58,236
Clearwater, FL$58,218
Canton, OH$58,088
La Crosse, WI$58,088
Albuquerque, NM$58,051
Newport News, VA$58,045
High Point, NC$58,027
Ogden, UT$58,002
Corpus Christi, TX$57,952
Norfolk, VA$57,915
Laramie, WY$57,915
Rock Island, IL$57,878
Saginaw, MI$57,866
Jacksonville, FL$57,860
Salisbury, NC$57,847
Boise, ID$57,835
Moline, IL$57,804
Fort Myers, FL$57,786
Memphis, TN$57,773
Tulsa, OK$57,743
Waterloo, IA$57,705
Spartanburg, SC$57,644
Lincoln, NE$57,613
Fort Wayne, IN$57,601
Provo, UT$57,594
Cedar Falls, IA$57,520
San Antonio, TX$57,496
Greensboro, NC$57,471
South Bend, IN$57,465
Savannah, GA$57,397
Muskegon, MI$57,372
Birmingham, AL$57,366
Winston Salem, NC$57,336
Lake Charles, LA$57,187
Anderson, IN$57,174
Lexington, KY$57,156
Augusta, GA$57,137
Greenville, SC$57,137
Lima, OH$57,088
Wichita, KS$57,082
Tuscaloosa, AL$57,082
Columbia, SC$57,026
Springfield, OH$57,014
Asheville, NC$56,915
Bloomington, IN$56,872
Knoxville, TN$56,650
Shreveport, LA$56,643
Wilmington, NC$56,563
Roanoke, VA$56,563
Topeka, KS$56,452
Frankfort, KY$56,445
Oklahoma City, OK$56,403
Chillicothe, OH$56,378
Longview, TX$56,372
Melbourne, FL$56,366
Sioux Falls, SD$56,267
Mobile, AL$56,261
Terre Haute, IN$56,236
Altoona, PA$56,199
Amarillo, TX$56,156
Killeen, TX$56,137
Fayetteville, AR$56,088
Chattanooga, TN$56,069
Sioux City, IA$56,014
Idaho Falls, ID$56,001
Lynchburg, VA$55,952
Gainesville, FL$55,872
Portsmouth, OH$55,841
Little Rock, AR$55,828
Lafayette, LA$55,804
Youngstown, OH$55,804
Daytona Beach, FL$55,767
Clarksville, TN$55,761
Pensacola, FL$55,754
Temple, TX$55,750
Hopkinsville, KY$55,569
Erie, PA$55,557
Florence, SC$55,532
Charleston, WV$55,433
Great Falls, MT$55,402
Macon, GA$55,316
Tallahassee, FL$55,310
Fayetteville, NC$55,297
Waco, TX$55,285
Helena, MT$55,242
Pine Bluff, AR$55,218
Vincennes, IN$55,143
Lubbock, TX$55,118
Alamogordo, NM$55,081
Twin Falls, ID$55,026
Rapid City, SD$55,007
Jackson, MS$54,896
Huntington, WV$54,892
Greenville, MS$54,890
Parkersburg, WV$54,827
Montgomery, AL$54,816
Wichita Falls, TX$54,754
Springfield, MO$54,754
Biloxi, MS$54,723
Monroe, LA$54,662
Johnstown, PA$54,618
Sumter, SC$54,594
Columbus, GA$54,587
Pascagoula, MS$54,470
Abilene, TX$54,470
Kingsport, TN$54,310
Albany, GA$54,310
Gulfport, MS$54,291
Alexandria, LA$54,087
Fort Smith, AR$53,933
El Paso, TX$53,766
Las Cruces, NM$53,488
Harlingen, TX$53,332
Pocatello, ID$53,322
Florence, AL$53,241
Brownsville, TX$53,229
Mcallen, TX$53,099
Dothan, AL$53,013
Columbus, MS$52,646
Altus, OK$52,358
Lawton, OK$52,241
Pierre, SD$52,019
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
$66,066
7%
Patient Care
$65,448
6%
Community Health
$64,213
4%
Leadership
$64,213
4%
Organizing
$64,213
4%
Collaboration
$63,596
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
$74,092
$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
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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
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