Teen & commercial driver training
Driving Instructor
Calm is the entire job requirement.
Typical pay
$32k-$62k
How you get in
State instructor certification, typically weeks
Outlook
Steady; CDL instruction is the growth segment
Steady openings
41/100A normal flow of openings each year, and the field is flat.
JobPOVs index, calculated from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025-2035 for Teachers and instructors, all other. It measures how many openings arise each year relative to the size of the field — not how many people apply. BLS does not publish a saturation figure.
Driving instructors teach students to operate vehicles safely. Teen driver education is the common entry; CDL instruction pays substantially more and requires holding the license yourself.
A day in the life
8:00a – 4:00p · 8 hours
- 8:00aInspect the training vehicle and review the day's students
- 9:00aClassroom instruction on rules and hazard perception
- 11:00aBehind-the-wheel lesson with a new driver
- 1:00pLunch
- 2:00pHighway and merging practice
- 4:00pAfter-school lessons, the busiest block of the day
How to get in
State instructor certification
Duration
4-12 weeks
Cost
$500-$3,000
Credential
State driving instructor license
- Hold a clean driving record for the years your state requires
- Complete a state-approved instructor training course
- Pass the certification and background check
- Work for a driving school, or eventually start your own
CDL instructor
Duration
2-5 years
Cost
$0-$8,000
Credential
CDL plus instructor certification
- Hold a Class A CDL and drive commercially for the required years
- Complete instructor certification for commercial driver training
- Teach at a CDL school or for a carrier's in-house program
- Substantially better pay than teen driver education
Own a driving school
Duration
2-5 years
Cost
$20,000-$80,000
Credential
State school licensing, vehicles and insurance
- Instruct for a school and learn the operation and regulations
- Get state licensing for a driving school business
- Buy dual-control vehicles and commercial insurance
- Contract with high schools for reliable seasonal volume
What people love
- · Certified in weeks to months
- · Steady demand — teenagers keep turning sixteen
- · Flexible part-time work is common
- · CDL instruction pays notably more
What wears people down
- · Genuinely nerve-wracking with new drivers
- · Afternoons, evenings and weekends are peak
- · Modest pay in teen driver education
- · Sitting in a car for most of the day