Salary AI Book a Demo

Firearms Instructor Salary in the United States

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

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Firearms Instructor in the United States is $59,779 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $72,124
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $54,078 to $66,241
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $48,888
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Firearms Instructor Salaries

A Firearms 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 Firearms Instructor Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Firearms 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): $58,433
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $59,383
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $61,221
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $63,627
  • Expert (over 8 years): $63,836
Levels Salary
Entry Level Firearms Instructor$58,433
Intermediate Level Firearms Instructor$59,383
Senior Level Firearms Instructor$61,221
Specialist Level Firearms Instructor$63,627
Expert Level Firearms Instructor$63,836
View as Graph

How Do Firearms 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 Firearms Instructors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $66,188.
  • California: $65,937.
  • Massachusetts: $65,058.

Top Paying Cities for Firearms 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: $75,400
  • San Francisco: $74,574
  • Oakland: $73,003

What Skills Can Increase a Firearms 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.
Skills Demand Percentage
Storytelling 6.56%
News Reporting 3.78%
Public Relations 1.98%
See More Skills

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 Firearms 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 $71,735
20%
Insight $65,757
10%
Public Relations $65,160
9%
Get Latest Data

Firearms Instructor Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Firearms 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, Firearms Instructor positions in Business Services typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Firearms Instructor as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Firearms Instructor

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Media$77,713$37.030%

How Education impacts a Firearms Instructor's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Firearms 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 a Firearms Instructor with a No Diploma is between $53,494 and $56,188).

Firearms Instructor Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Firearms Instructor
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

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

Understanding how a Firearms 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 September 01, 2026
$54,078
Average $59,779/year
$66,241
$4,507
Average $4,982/month
$5,520
$1,040
Average $1,150/week
$1,274
$26
Average $29/hour
$32
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $66,241 $5,520 $1,274 $32
Average $59,779 $4,982 $1,150 $29
25th Percentile $54,078 $4,507 $1,040 $26

Most common benefits for Firearms Instructor

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Firearms Instructor

Here are companies hiring for Firearms Instructor and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Firearms Instructor Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Firearms Instructor job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Firearms Instructor

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Firearms Instructor?

The Media industry offers the highest average compensation for Firearms Instructor roles, with salaries approximately 30% 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.

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.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst