Ask HN: How much do programming instructors make?

Hi all- Regular HN user here, made a throwaway account just in case my current or future employers ever google me. I'm applying for a part-time programming instructor position (at a place like General Assembly, App Academy, etc) and I was wondering how much these positions generally make, and whether I should attempt to negotiate salary like I would with a development job. I've googled around a bit, and I can't find any information on Glassdoor or elsewhere. Do any of you have experience w/ these kind of jobs? Thanks!

You should always negotiate your salary. It is in the company's interest to hire you for as low as you will work for; counter this by attempting to get as much as you can.

If Glassdoor/salary.com/payscale.com don't have any info, you could look for people in that profession on LinkedIn, and try to ask them for more info. If you phrase it like you are new to the industry and looking for guidance from a pro like them, some will probably be willing to "mentor" you, including on expected salary ranges.

A lot. If the program has been around for some time, competitive with engineering salaries in SF (I would estimate 200k+).

Do the math. Number of students per class x classes per year x tuition x percent of students that get jobs through each program's hiring network x $20k (recruiting fee) and holy shit you have a cash cow.

Subtract rent, taxes, utilities (internet+electricity), and janitorial services and you still tons of cash flow (before accounting for salaries).

It's like consulting: very lucrative and cash-flow positive, but very difficult to scale.

Though I would imagine that part-timers don't make as much.

mjn's estimate is quite off the mark. This is not tutoring.