The idea of cruising down the highway, wind in the hair, astride a motorcycle appeals to many. But before doing so, one must learn how to successfully and safely ride a motorcycle. That’s where motorcycle instructors come in. They teach people the techniques and knowledge required for riders to pass the drivers licensing procedures and enjoy confident, safe riding. Salary levels for workers in this role vary depending upon which sector of the industry and the location in which an individual works.

Average Salary

For the purposes of its national employment survey of May 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classified motorcycle instructors in the category of self-enrichment education teachers. It reported that the mean annual salary for this occupational grouping was $41,210. Those in the top 10 percent of earners received salaries of over $70,550 per year, while their counterparts in the bottom 10 percent earned less than $18,790. At the time of publication, wage comparison website SimplyHired.com put the average yearly pay for a motorcycle instructor at $37,000.

Salary by Industry

The majority of self-enrichment education teachers such as motorcycle instructors work within schools and instruction facilities other than traditional elementary, secondary and tertiary establishments. For instructors, these facilities are likely to be driving schools. The bureau listed the mean annual wage for this sector of the industry as $40,060. Those individuals working within civil and social organizations received mean wages of $47,210, while positions in trade and technical school paid a mean of $39,790.

Salary by Geography

The bureau’s survey also showed how salary levels for self-enrichment education teachers varied across different states. It reported that Connecticut and Oklahoma were the locations win which a teacher such as a motorcycle instructor was likely to earn the best pay rates, with means of $51,280 and $48,910, respectively. New York and New Jersey had almost identical means--$48,540 and $48,250, respectively--as did Pennsylvania and Florida, at $38,510 and $37,490, respectively. Among the states with the lowest pay were Mississippi at $34,100 and Maine at $29,050.

Prospects

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment opportunities for self-enrichment teachers, such as motorcycle instructors, will increase by approximately 32 percent over the decade from 2008 to 2018. This far exceeds the rate expected of the country as a whole, estimated at between 7 and 13 percent over the same 10 years. As more and more people embrace the concept of lifelong learning and individuals seek to enhance their skills for both pleasure and to enhance their employability, demand for instructors will rise. As such, salary levels for practitioners should remain very competitive.