How much does an Outdoor Instructor make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for an Outdoor Instructor in the United States is $60,687 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.
However, an Outdoor Instructor's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $73,092
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $54,819 to $67,180
Key Factors That Influence Outdoor Instructor Salaries
An Outdoor 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 Outdoor Instructor Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of an Outdoor 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): $60,116
Early Career (1-2 years): $61,094
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $62,985
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $65,459
Expert (over 8 years): $65,674
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Outdoor Instructor
$60,116
Intermediate Level Outdoor Instructor
$61,094
Senior Level Outdoor Instructor
$62,985
Specialist Level Outdoor Instructor
$65,459
Expert Level Outdoor Instructor
$65,674
$60,1160 yr
$61,094< 2 yrs
$62,9852-4 yrs
$65,4595-8 yrs
$65,674> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Outdoor 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 Outdoor Instructors.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $67,192.
California: $66,937.
Massachusetts: $66,045.
District of Columbia$67,192
California$66,937
Massachusetts$66,045
Washington$65,802
New Jersey$65,778
Alaska$65,693
Connecticut$64,856
New York$64,516
Hawaii$63,430
Rhode Island$62,920
Maryland$62,574
Minnesota$62,101
Colorado$61,919
Illinois$61,858
Oregon$61,627
Delaware$61,457
New Hampshire$61,351
Virginia$61,111
Pennsylvania$60,414
Nevada$60,062
North Dakota$59,946
Michigan$59,764
Wisconsin$59,697
Vermont$59,564
Texas$59,194
Maine$59,169
Arizona$59,133
Ohio$59,091
Georgia$58,532
Indiana$58,253
Wyoming$58,198
Utah$58,113
Iowa$58,077
Kansas$57,786
Louisiana$57,701
North Carolina$57,670
Missouri$57,658
Florida$57,422
Montana$57,294
Nebraska$57,173
Kentucky$57,106
South Carolina$56,863
Tennessee$56,712
Idaho$56,651
New Mexico$56,208
Oklahoma$56,111
Alabama$55,753
South Dakota$55,152
Arkansas$54,824
West Virginia$54,648
Mississippi$54,120
Top Paying Cities for Outdoor 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: $76,544
San Francisco: $75,706
Oakland: $74,110
San Jose, CA$76,544
San Francisco, CA$75,706
Oakland, CA$74,110
New York, NY$69,874
Paramus, NJ$69,024
Queens Village, NY$69,021
Passaic, NJ$68,964
Bergenfield, NJ$68,958
Stamford, CT$68,825
Huntington, NY$68,800
Newark, NJ$68,351
Bridgeport, CT$68,223
Vallejo, CA$68,103
New Brunswick, NJ$68,078
Petaluma, CA$68,042
Middlesex, NJ$67,927
Somerset, NJ$67,884
Santa Cruz, CA$67,805
Boston, MA$67,435
Monterey, CA$67,222
Seattle, WA$67,083
Santa Rosa, CA$67,071
Los Angeles, CA$67,053
Juneau, AK$66,895
Washington, DC$66,828
Orange, CA$66,612
Santa Ana, CA$66,452
Long Beach, CA$66,391
Anaheim, CA$66,379
Anchorage, AK$66,349
Santa Maria, CA$66,167
Everett, WA$66,154
Danbury, CT$65,941
Bremerton, WA$65,857
Tacoma, WA$65,639
New Suffolk, NY$65,637
Sacramento, CA$65,620
Santa Barbara, CA$65,554
Trenton, NJ$65,487
San Diego, CA$65,487
Brockton, MA$65,420
Fairbanks, AK$65,271
Lompoc, CA$65,117
Lowell, MA$65,068
Ventura, CA$65,056
Nashua, NH$65,044
Stockton, CA$65,038
Modesto, CA$64,595
Poughkeepsie, NY$64,461
Olympia, WA$64,346
Kennewick, WA$64,346
New Haven, CT$64,322
Lawrence, MA$64,103
Hartford, CT$64,043
Riverside, CA$64,030
New Bedford, MA$63,970
Richland, WA$63,970
Bakersfield, CA$63,885
San Bernardino, CA$63,861
New Britain, CT$63,854
Atlantic City, NJ$63,854
New London, CT$63,830
Norwich, CT$63,812
Portsmouth, NH$63,800
Boulder, CO$63,671
Portland, OR$63,587
Worcester, MA$63,581
Minneapolis, MN$63,393
Philadelphia, PA$63,308
Honolulu, HI$63,108
Saint Paul, MN$63,079
Vineland, NJ$63,066
Providence, RI$62,890
Chicago, IL$62,714
Bellingham, WA$62,641
Springfield, MA$62,592
Baltimore, MD$62,574
Chico, CA$62,422
Pittsfield, MA$62,258
Manchester, NH$62,143
Spokane, WA$61,876
Denver, CO$61,870
Albany, NY$61,585
Troy, NY$61,560
Nassau, NY$61,496
Schenectady, NY$61,433
Wilmington, DE$61,384
Burlington, VT$61,300
Salem, OR$61,275
Portland, ME$61,087
Yakima, WA$61,026
Rochester, MN$60,838
Reno, NV$60,808
Fresno, CA$60,808
Milwaukee, WI$60,753
Detroit, MI$60,693
Ann Arbor, MI$60,682
Allentown, PA$60,674
Colorado Springs, CO$60,571
Syracuse, NY$60,541
Carson City, NV$60,541
Houston, TX$60,456
Eugene, OR$60,426
Gary, IN$60,353
Springfield, OR$60,304
Bismarck, ND$60,292
Galveston, TX$60,250
Medford, OR$60,159
Fort Collins, CO$60,134
Concord, NH$60,104
Austin, TX$60,086
Mesa, AZ$59,958
Reading, PA$59,952
Phoenix, AZ$59,946
Dallas, TX$59,928
Saint Cloud, MN$59,870
Madison, WI$59,788
Utica, NY$59,625
Rochester, NY$59,527
Des Moines, IA$59,521
Raleigh, NC$59,515
Atlanta, GA$59,424
Battle Creek, MI$59,406
Salt Lake City, UT$59,388
Lancaster, PA$59,297
Harrisburg, PA$59,212
Kansas City, MO$59,151
Champaign, IL$59,139
Kansas City, KS$59,139
Fort Worth, TX$59,133
Columbus, OH$59,123
Boca Raton, FL$59,109
Pittsburgh, PA$59,084
Richmond, VA$59,060
Indianapolis, IN$59,048
Cleveland, OH$59,042
Las Vegas, NV$58,969
Cincinnati, OH$58,969
Petersburg, VA$58,878
Huntsville, AL$58,787
Lansing, MI$58,746
Lebanon, PA$58,739
Pueblo, CO$58,732
Appleton, WI$58,714
Buffalo, NY$58,690
Dayton, OH$58,672
Racine, WI$58,660
Charlotte, NC$58,654
Saint Louis, MO$58,635
York, PA$58,599
Elkhart, IN$58,599
Gastonia, NC$58,587
Billings, MT$58,573
Beaumont, TX$58,557
Lorain, OH$58,544
Benton Harbor, MI$58,532
Toledo, OH$58,520
Binghamton, NY$58,490
Rock Hill, SC$58,484
Rockford, IL$58,453
Springfield, IL$58,429
Elyria, OH$58,423
Fargo, ND$58,423
Flagstaff, AZ$58,381
Fort Lauderdale, FL$58,344
Duluth, MN$58,308
Miami, FL$58,308
Cheyenne, WY$58,265
Grand Forks, ND$58,265
Bangor, ME$58,132
Cedar Rapids, IA$58,065
Durham, NC$58,039
Louisville, KY$58,035
Grand Rapids, MI$58,022
Hialeah, FL$58,016
Casper, WY$57,931
Scranton, PA$57,859
New Orleans, LA$57,840
Virginia Beach, VA$57,834
Akron, OH$57,804
Peoria, IL$57,725
Sarasota, FL$57,713
Nashville, TN$57,670
Omaha, NE$57,670
Green Bay, WI$57,670
Baton Rouge, LA$57,640
Charleston, SC$57,628
Jamestown, NY$57,598
Davenport, IA$57,598
Tucson, AZ$57,567
Saint Petersburg, FL$57,531
Tampa, FL$57,519
Evansville, IN$57,482
Port Arthur, TX$57,482
Bradenton, FL$57,458
Santa Fe, NM$57,349
Orlando, FL$57,240
Clearwater, FL$57,221
Canton, OH$57,094
La Crosse, WI$57,094
Albuquerque, NM$57,058
Newport News, VA$57,051
High Point, NC$57,033
Ogden, UT$57,009
Corpus Christi, TX$56,960
Norfolk, VA$56,924
Laramie, WY$56,924
Rock Island, IL$56,888
Saginaw, MI$56,875
Jacksonville, FL$56,869
Salisbury, NC$56,857
Boise, ID$56,845
Moline, IL$56,815
Fort Myers, FL$56,797
Memphis, TN$56,784
Tulsa, OK$56,754
Waterloo, IA$56,718
Spartanburg, SC$56,657
Lincoln, NE$56,627
Fort Wayne, IN$56,615
Provo, UT$56,608
Cedar Falls, IA$56,536
San Antonio, TX$56,511
Greensboro, NC$56,487
South Bend, IN$56,481
Savannah, GA$56,414
Muskegon, MI$56,390
Birmingham, AL$56,384
Winston Salem, NC$56,354
Lake Charles, LA$56,208
Anderson, IN$56,196
Lexington, KY$56,178
Augusta, GA$56,159
Greenville, SC$56,159
Lima, OH$56,111
Wichita, KS$56,105
Tuscaloosa, AL$56,105
Columbia, SC$56,050
Springfield, OH$56,038
Asheville, NC$55,941
Bloomington, IN$55,898
Knoxville, TN$55,680
Shreveport, LA$55,674
Wilmington, NC$55,595
Roanoke, VA$55,595
Topeka, KS$55,486
Frankfort, KY$55,479
Oklahoma City, OK$55,437
Chillicothe, OH$55,413
Longview, TX$55,407
Melbourne, FL$55,401
Sioux Falls, SD$55,304
Mobile, AL$55,298
Terre Haute, IN$55,273
Altoona, PA$55,237
Amarillo, TX$55,194
Killeen, TX$55,176
Fayetteville, AR$55,128
Chattanooga, TN$55,110
Sioux City, IA$55,055
Idaho Falls, ID$55,043
Lynchburg, VA$54,994
Gainesville, FL$54,915
Portsmouth, OH$54,885
Little Rock, AR$54,873
Lafayette, LA$54,849
Youngstown, OH$54,849
Daytona Beach, FL$54,812
Clarksville, TN$54,806
Pensacola, FL$54,800
Temple, TX$54,796
Hopkinsville, KY$54,618
Erie, PA$54,606
Florence, SC$54,582
Charleston, WV$54,484
Great Falls, MT$54,454
Macon, GA$54,369
Tallahassee, FL$54,363
Fayetteville, NC$54,351
Waco, TX$54,339
Helena, MT$54,296
Pine Bluff, AR$54,273
Vincennes, IN$54,199
Lubbock, TX$54,175
Alamogordo, NM$54,139
Twin Falls, ID$54,084
Rapid City, SD$54,066
Jackson, MS$53,956
Huntington, WV$53,952
Greenville, MS$53,950
Parkersburg, WV$53,888
Montgomery, AL$53,878
Wichita Falls, TX$53,817
Springfield, MO$53,817
Biloxi, MS$53,787
Monroe, LA$53,726
Johnstown, PA$53,683
Sumter, SC$53,659
Columbus, GA$53,653
Pascagoula, MS$53,538
Abilene, TX$53,538
Kingsport, TN$53,380
Albany, GA$53,380
Gulfport, MS$53,362
Alexandria, LA$53,161
Fort Smith, AR$53,010
El Paso, TX$52,846
Las Cruces, NM$52,573
Harlingen, TX$52,419
Pocatello, ID$52,409
Florence, AL$52,330
Brownsville, TX$52,318
Mcallen, TX$52,190
Dothan, AL$52,106
Columbus, MS$51,745
Altus, OK$51,462
Lawton, OK$51,347
Pierre, SD$51,128
What Skills Can Increase an Outdoor Instructor's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Storytelling (Mentioned in 6.56% Job Postings): Planning, creating and presenting stories or narratives to achieve diverse personal and business goals.
News Reporting (Mentioned in 3.78% Job Postings): News reporting involves discovering all relevant facts, selecting and presenting the important facts and weaving a comprehensive story. Reporting involves hard work, which in turn involves stamina and patience. The main function of journalistic profession is news reporting.
Public Relations (Mentioned in 1.98% Job Postings): Public relations (PR) is the practice of deliberately managing the spread of information between an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) and the public. Public relations may include an organization or individual gaining exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment. This differentiates it from advertising as a form of marketing communications. Public relations is the idea of creating coverage for clients for free, rather than marketing or advertising. But now, advertising is also a part of greater PR Activities. An example of good public relations would be generating an article featuring a client, rather than paying for the client to be advertised next to the article. The aim of public relations is to inform the public, prospective customers, investors, partners, employees, and other stakeholders and ultimately persuade them to maintain a positive or favorable view about the organization, its leadership, products, or political decisions. Public relations professionals typically work for PR and marketing firms, businesses and companies, government, and public officials as PIOs and nongovernmental organizations, and nonprofit organizations. Jobs central to public relations include account coordinator, account executive, account supervisor, and media relations manager.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Storytelling
6.56%
News Reporting
3.78%
Public Relations
1.98%
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 an Outdoor Instructor's salary.
Media Relations: Can increase your salary by up to 20%.
Insight: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Public Relations: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Media Relations
$72,824
20%
Insight
$66,755
10%
Public Relations
$66,148
9%
Analysis
$65,542
8%
Verbal Communication
$64,328
6%
Collaboration
$63,721
5%
Get Latest Data
Outdoor Instructor Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Outdoor Instructor roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Media,
offers compensation 30% above the average. Conversely,
Outdoor Instructor positions in Business Services typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Outdoor Instructor as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for an Outdoor Instructor
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Media
$78,893
$38.0
30%
How Education impacts an Outdoor Instructor's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Outdoor Instructors enter the field with a No Diploma degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for an Outdoor Instructor with a No Diploma is between
$53,494
and $56,188).
Outdoor Instructor Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for Outdoor Instructor
No Diploma0.3%
High School1.7%
Associates3.3%
Bachelors64.8%
Masters28.2%
Doctorate1.7%
view as table
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
0.3%
High School
1.7%
Associates
3.3%
Bachelors
64.8%
Masters
28.2%
Doctorate
1.7%
view as graph
Outdoor Instructor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how an Outdoor 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 an Outdoor Instructor can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $67,863 in 2023
to around $67,369 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Outdoor Instructor salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Outdoor Instructor Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$67,863
2024
$67,660
2025
$67,369
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$67,863
2024
$67,660
2025
$67,369
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Outdoor 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 Outdoor Instructor
Here are companies hiring for Outdoor Instructor and their salaries, click below for more details.
K
$114,295/per year
Kpmg Us LLP
Business Services
the United States
W
$114,096/per year
Warner Bros Discovery
Business Services
the United States
D
$111,927/per year
Dentsu International Ltd
Business Services
the United States
G
$111,873/per year
GroupM Worldwide Inc
Business Services
the United States
C
$111,651/per year
CoWorx Staffing
Business Services
the United States
C
$110,194/per year
Contemporary Services Corp
Business Services
the United States
S
$107,128/per year
Showcase Cinemas
Business Services
the United States
A
$106,429/per year
Amentum Services Inc
Business Services
the United States
A
$106,199/per year
Allied Universal Security Services LLC
Business Services
the United States
S
$106,104/per year
Sodexo USA
Business Services
the United States
J
$105,192/per year
JLL Technologies
Business Services
the United States
I
$104,478/per year
Intact Insurance Group USA LLC
Business Services
the United States
N
$101,619/per year
NielsenIQ
Business Services
the United States
T
$101,470/per year
The Leading Edge Alliance
Business Services
the United States
H
$101,308/per year
Honeywell UOP
Business Services
the United States
R
$97,720/per year
Reeve & Associates
Business Services
the United States
M
$97,584/per year
ManpowerGroup Global Inc
Business Services
the United States
F
$95,980/per year
Financial Sys Nco
Business Services
the United States
A
$95,314/per year
Arrow Global Ltd
Business Services
the United States
C
$94,777/per year
CarMax Enterprise Services LLC
Business Services
the United States
D
$94,479/per year
DZConneX
Business Services
the United States
A
$93,802/per year
Adecco Staffing, USA
Business Services
the United States
R
$92,937/per year
Resource MFG
Business Services
the United States
Z
$92,774/per year
Zachry Brands Inc
Business Services
the United States
G
$88,138/per year
Greystar Worldwide LLC
Business Services
the United States
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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.