How Much Does a CFII Cost?
The instrument instructor (CFII) rating usually costs $3,000 to $6,000. It is a relatively short add-on to your CFI, focused on learning to teach instrument procedures and approaches.
Typical cost
Added on top of your CFI
A range, not a promise. Your number depends on your aircraft, region, and how often you fly. The free calculator gives you a figure tied to all three.
How we estimate this →
CFII cost breakdown: what you are paying for
| Item | Typical cost | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| InstructionTeaching the instrument scan, approaches, and procedures from the right seat. | Varies | Teaching the instrument scan, approaches, and procedures from the right seat. |
| Knowledge testThe CFII written. | ~$175 | The CFII written. |
| Checkride / DPE feeThe examiner's fee for your practical test. | $600–$900 | The examiner's fee for your practical test. |
No public dataset exists for CFII training hours. This starts from a small conservative increment and sharpens from your own logged flights.
What drives the cost
- How current your instrument flying is when you start.
- Aircraft and instructor rates.
How to keep it down
- Add the CFII soon after your CFI while your instrument skills are sharp.
- Use a simulator for procedure work where allowed.
Next leg · Your plan
Turn this into a plan you can follow.
Your instrument instructor (cfii) cost is the starting line. The free plan maps every step to the checkride with this number built in, one step at a time.
Already training? Track every hour and dollar in the app.
Instrument Instructor (CFII) cost questions
Should I do my CFI and CFII together?
Many pilots do. Adding the CFII right after the CFI, while your instrument flying is current, keeps the extra cost low.
Sources for these figures
The instrument instructor (cfii) ranges above are anchored to public, citable data, not flight-school marketing. Here is what backs them.
- 14 CFR Part 61, Aeronautical Experience (eCFR)
U.S. FAA
The legal minimum hours for each certificate and rating (40 hours for a private pilot, 40 instrument hours for the instrument rating, 1,500 for an ATP). We use these as a disclosed floor where no reliable completion average exists.