What are the main factors that influence a Lab Instructor's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Lab Instructor's salary?

A Lab Instructor's salary grows with experience: starting around $59,718 for beginners, reaching about $61,450 at mid-level, and approach $64,160 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Lab Instructor?

Lab Instructor salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Lab Instructor roles are District of Columbia $66,571, California $66,318, Massachusetts $65,434. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Lab Instructor roles make?

Salaries for Lab Instructor level roles vary by specialization: Lab Manager: $121,245; Flight Instructor: $118,020; Lab Cytotechnologist: $97,300; Adjunct Biology Lab Instructor for Summer Sessions: $66,465; Adjunct Lab Instructor: $66,210.

How do different companies affect a Lab Instructor's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Lab Instructor roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Lab Instructor Salary in the United States

How much does a Lab Instructor make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lab Instructor in the United States is $60,125 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.

However, a Lab Instructor's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $70,249
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $55,937 to $65,425
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $52,124

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Lab Instructor Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$65,425	$5,452	$1,258	$31
Average	$60,125	$5,010	$1,156	$29
25th Percentile	$55,937	$4,661	$1,076	$27

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Key Factors That Influence Lab Instructor Salaries

A Lab 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 Lab Instructor Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Lab 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): $59,718
Early Career (1-2 years): $60,009
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $61,450
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $63,979
Expert (over 8 years): $64,160

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Lab Instructor	$59,718
Intermediate Level Lab Instructor	$60,009
Senior Level Lab Instructor	$61,450
Specialist Level Lab Instructor	$63,979
Expert Level Lab Instructor	$64,160

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Lab 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 Lab Instructors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $66,571.
California: $66,318.
Massachusetts: $65,434.

District of Columbia $66,571

California $66,318

Massachusetts $65,434

Washington $65,194

New Jersey $65,170

Alaska $65,086

Connecticut $64,256

New York $63,919

Hawaii $62,843

Rhode Island $62,338

Maryland $61,995

Minnesota $61,526

Colorado $61,346

Illinois $61,286

Oregon $61,057

Delaware $60,889

New Hampshire $60,783

Virginia $60,546

Pennsylvania $59,855

Nevada $59,506

North Dakota $59,392

Michigan $59,211

Wisconsin $59,145

Vermont $59,013

Texas $58,646

Maine $58,622

Arizona $58,586

Ohio $58,544

Georgia $57,991

Indiana $57,714

Wyoming $57,660

Utah $57,576

Iowa $57,540

Kansas $57,251

Louisiana $57,167

North Carolina $57,137

Missouri $57,125

Florida $56,891

Montana $56,764

Nebraska $56,644

Kentucky $56,578

South Carolina $56,337

Tennessee $56,187

Idaho $56,127

New Mexico $55,688

Oklahoma $55,592

Alabama $55,237

South Dakota $54,642

Arkansas $54,317

West Virginia $54,143

Mississippi $53,620

Top Paying Cities for Lab 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: $75,836
San Francisco: $75,091
Oakland: $73,425

San Jose, CA $75,836

San Francisco, CA $75,091

Oakland, CA $73,425

New York, NY $69,679

Queens Village, NY $69,228

Paramus, NJ $68,747

Passaic, NJ $68,687

Bergenfield, NJ $68,627

Stamford, CT $68,537

Huntington, NY $68,477

Newark, NJ $68,086

Bridgeport, CT $67,966

New Brunswick, NJ $67,767

Vallejo, CA $67,641

Middlesex, NJ $67,605

Somerset, NJ $67,551

Petaluma, CA $67,413

Santa Cruz, CA $67,178

Boston, MA $67,058

Monterey, CA $66,757

Fairbanks, AK $66,715

Los Angeles, CA $66,601

Washington, DC $66,571

Seattle, WA $66,463

Santa Rosa, CA $66,451

Juneau, AK $66,276

Orange, CA $66,078

Anchorage, AK $65,970

Anaheim, CA $65,928

Santa Ana, CA $65,837

Nassau, NY $65,801

Long Beach, CA $65,777

Danbury, CT $65,759

Santa Maria, CA $65,555

Everett, WA $65,543

Bremerton, WA $65,248

Trenton, NJ $65,134

Sacramento, CA $65,110

San Diego, CA $65,080

Brockton, MA $65,056

Tacoma, WA $65,032

Santa Barbara, CA $64,947

Lowell, MA $64,707

New Suffolk, NY $64,683

Nashua, NH $64,611

Lompoc, CA $64,515

Ventura, CA $64,454

Stockton, CA $64,436

New Haven, CT $64,316

Atlantic City, NJ $64,160

Hartford, CT $64,028

Modesto, CA $63,997

Poughkeepsie, NY $63,865

New Britain, CT $63,835

Olympia, WA $63,751

Kennewick, WA $63,751

New London, CT $63,739

Norwich, CT $63,721

Lawrence, MA $63,691

Bakersfield, CA $63,522

Riverside, CA $63,438

New Bedford, MA $63,438

Richland, WA $63,378

Portsmouth, NH $63,330

Vineland, NJ $63,318

San Bernardino, CA $63,270

Boulder, CO $63,102

Worcester, MA $63,054

Portland, OR $62,999

Saint Paul, MN $62,927

Minneapolis, MN $62,927

Philadelphia, PA $62,843

Honolulu, HI $62,524

Springfield, MA $62,314

Providence, RI $62,308

Chicago, IL $62,134

Bellingham, WA $62,061

Baltimore, MD $61,995

Chico, CA $61,845

Wilmington, DE $61,743

Pittsfield, MA $61,683

Manchester, NH $61,568

Spokane, WA $61,304

Denver, CO $61,298

Albany, NY $61,015

Troy, NY $60,991

Schenectady, NY $60,865

Burlington, VT $60,733

Portland, ME $60,522

Salem, OR $60,474

Yakima, WA $60,462

Ann Arbor, MI $60,444

Rochester, MN $60,276

Fresno, CA $60,246

Reno, NV $60,246

Milwaukee, WI $60,192

Detroit, MI $60,131

Allentown, PA $60,113

Carson City, NV $60,107

Houston, TX $60,017

Colorado Springs, CO $60,011

Syracuse, NY $59,981

Eugene, OR $59,867

Bismarck, ND $59,795

Gary, IN $59,795

Galveston, TX $59,795

Springfield, OR $59,747

Medford, OR $59,602

Fort Collins, CO $59,578

Austin, TX $59,530

Mesa, AZ $59,404

Phoenix, AZ $59,392

Dallas, TX $59,374

Reading, PA $59,338

Saint Cloud, MN $59,314

Concord, NH $59,260

Madison, WI $59,236

Utica, NY $59,073

Raleigh, NC $59,025

Las Vegas, NV $59,019

Rochester, NY $58,977

Des Moines, IA $58,971

Atlanta, GA $58,875

Battle Creek, MI $58,857

Salt Lake City, UT $58,839

Lancaster, PA $58,749

Champaign, IL $58,737

Harrisburg, PA $58,664

Durham, NC $58,610

Kansas City, MO $58,604

Kansas City, KS $58,592

Fort Worth, TX $58,586

Boca Raton, FL $58,562

Cleveland, OH $58,556

Columbus, OH $58,544

Pittsburgh, PA $58,538

Richmond, VA $58,514

Indianapolis, IN $58,502

Cincinnati, OH $58,424

Petersburg, VA $58,334

Billings, MT $58,201

Lansing, MI $58,201

Huntsville, AL $58,201

Lebanon, PA $58,195

Dayton, OH $58,189

Pueblo, CO $58,189

Appleton, WI $58,171

Buffalo, NY $58,147

Racine, WI $58,117

Charlotte, NC $58,111

Saint Louis, MO $58,093

Springfield, IL $58,069

Elkhart, IN $58,057

York, PA $58,057

Gastonia, NC $58,051

Benton Harbor, MI $58,051

Beaumont, TX $58,015

Lorain, OH $58,003

Toledo, OH $57,979

Binghamton, NY $57,949

Rock Hill, SC $57,943

Rockford, IL $57,913

Fargo, ND $57,883

Elyria, OH $57,883

Flagstaff, AZ $57,841

Fort Lauderdale, FL $57,805

Miami, FL $57,768

Duluth, MN $57,672

Bangor, ME $57,594

Cedar Rapids, IA $57,528

Louisville, KY $57,498

Grand Rapids, MI $57,486

Hialeah, FL $57,480

Casper, WY $57,396

Scranton, PA $57,324

New Orleans, LA $57,306

Virginia Beach, VA $57,300

Akron, OH $57,269

Peoria, IL $57,191

Sarasota, FL $57,179

Green Bay, WI $57,137

Baton Rouge, LA $57,107

Charleston, SC $57,095

Nashville, TN $57,077

Jamestown, NY $57,065

Davenport, IA $57,065

Tucson, AZ $57,035

Cheyenne, WY $57,017

Saint Petersburg, FL $56,999

Tampa, FL $56,987

Omaha, NE $56,975

Port Arthur, TX $56,951

Evansville, IN $56,951

Bradenton, FL $56,927

Santa Fe, NM $56,819

Orlando, FL $56,758

Clearwater, FL $56,692

Canton, OH $56,566

La Crosse, WI $56,566

Grand Forks, ND $56,548

Albuquerque, NM $56,530

Tulsa, OK $56,530

Newport News, VA $56,524

High Point, NC $56,506

Ogden, UT $56,482

Corpus Christi, TX $56,434

Laramie, WY $56,398

Norfolk, VA $56,398

Rock Island, IL $56,362

Saginaw, MI $56,350

Jacksonville, FL $56,344

Salisbury, NC $56,331

Memphis, TN $56,319

Moline, IL $56,289

Fort Myers, FL $56,271

Waterloo, IA $56,193

Spartanburg, SC $56,133

Lincoln, NE $56,103

Fort Wayne, IN $56,091

Birmingham, AL $56,025

Cedar Falls, IA $56,013

Provo, UT $56,007

Springfield, OH $56,001

San Antonio, TX $55,989

Greensboro, NC $55,965

South Bend, IN $55,959

Winston Salem, NC $55,953

Boise, ID $55,935

Savannah, GA $55,893

Muskegon, MI $55,784

Lima, OH $55,712

Lake Charles, LA $55,688

Anderson, IN $55,676

Lexington, KY $55,658

Augusta, GA $55,640

Greenville, SC $55,640

Wichita, KS $55,586

Tuscaloosa, AL $55,586

Columbia, SC $55,532

Bloomington, IN $55,382

Roanoke, VA $55,345

Asheville, NC $55,267

Knoxville, TN $55,165

Shreveport, LA $55,159

Wilmington, NC $55,081

Frankfort, KY $54,967

Oklahoma City, OK $54,925

Chillicothe, OH $54,901

Longview, TX $54,894

Topeka, KS $54,876

Mobile, AL $54,786

Terre Haute, IN $54,762

Erie, PA $54,756

Altoona, PA $54,726

Melbourne, FL $54,708

Amarillo, TX $54,684

Killeen, TX $54,666

Fayetteville, AR $54,618

Sioux Falls, SD $54,576

Chattanooga, TN $54,540

Idaho Falls, ID $54,534

Gainesville, FL $54,407

Portsmouth, OH $54,377

Little Rock, AR $54,365

Lynchburg, VA $54,365

Lafayette, LA $54,341

Youngstown, OH $54,341

Temple, TX $54,317

Daytona Beach, FL $54,305

Clarksville, TN $54,299

Pensacola, FL $54,293

Hopkinsville, KY $54,113

Charleston, WV $54,107

Florence, SC $54,077

Sioux City, IA $54,041

Macon, GA $53,866

Tallahassee, FL $53,860

Fayetteville, NC $53,848

Waco, TX $53,836

Wichita Falls, TX $53,836

Pine Bluff, AR $53,812

Vincennes, IN $53,698

Lubbock, TX $53,674

Great Falls, MT $53,638

Alamogordo, NM $53,632

Abilene, TX $53,584

Rapid City, SD $53,506

Monroe, LA $53,506

Albany, GA $53,470

Huntington, WV $53,464

Jackson, MS $53,457

Greenville, MS $53,451

Parkersburg, WV $53,391

Montgomery, AL $53,379

Johnstown, PA $53,367

Springfield, MO $53,319

Biloxi, MS $53,289

Sumter, SC $53,163

Columbus, GA $53,157

Twin Falls, ID $53,121

Pascagoula, MS $53,043

Kingsport, TN $52,886

Gulfport, MS $52,868

Alexandria, LA $52,670

Fort Smith, AR $52,520

El Paso, TX $52,357

Helena, MT $52,279

Las Cruces, NM $52,087

Harlingen, TX $51,918

Pocatello, ID $51,864

Florence, AL $51,846

Brownsville, TX $51,834

Dothan, AL $51,738

Mcallen, TX $51,708

Columbus, MS $51,263

Altus, OK $50,986

Lawton, OK $50,872

Pierre, SD $50,656

What Skills Can Increase a Lab Instructor's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 4.9% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Home Care (Mentioned in 6.28% Job Postings): Homecare is health care or supportive care provided by a professional caregiver in the individual home where the patient or client is living, as opposed to care provided in group accommodations like clinics or nursing home.
Medication Administration (Mentioned in 2.02% Job Postings): Medication administration is the direct application of a prescribed medication whether by injection, inhalation, ingestion, or other means to the body of the individual by an individual legally authorized to do so.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	4.9%
Home Care	6.28%
Medication Administration	2.02%

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 Lab Instructor's salary.

Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
Dedication: Can increase your salary by up to 20%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Leadership	$72,752	21%
Presentation	$72,752	21%
Dedication	$72,150	20%
Commitment	$69,745	16%
Accountability	$69,144	15%
Safety Standards	$67,942	13%

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How Education impacts a Lab Instructor's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Lab Instructors enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate 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 Lab Instructor with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $56,043 and $58,522).

Lab Instructor Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Lab Instructor

No Diploma 1.7%

High School 72.2%

Associates 18.8%

Bachelors 6.3%

Masters 1.1%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.7%
High School	72.2%
Associates	18.8%
Bachelors	6.3%
Masters	1.1%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Lab Instructor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Lab 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.

Last Updated on April 01, 2026

$55,937

Average $60,125/year

$65,425

$4,661

Average $5,010/month

$5,452

$1,076

Average $1,156/week

$1,258

$27

Average $29/hour

$31

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$65,425	$5,452	$1,258	$31
Average	$60,125	$5,010	$1,156	$29
25th Percentile	$55,937	$4,661	$1,076	$27

Salaries of jobs related to Lab Instructor

Salary Trends for Lab Instructor

Salaries for a Lab Instructor can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $50,275 in 2023 to around $49,897 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Lab Instructor salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Lab Instructor Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$50,275

2024

$51,165

2025

$49,897

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$50,275
2024	$51,165
2025	$49,897
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Lab Instructor

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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.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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