Communications teachers, postsecondary salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,590 | Data unavailable |
| Median (50th percentile) | $78,580 | Data unavailable |
| Mean (average) | $90,010 | Data unavailable |
| 90th percentile | $143,720 | Data unavailable |
BLS publishes only annual wages for this occupation because workers are typically paid on an annual basis rather than hourly.
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Communications teachers, postsecondary pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 50 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $63,760 | $47,420 | $99,160 | 300 | 0.74 |
| Arizona | $71,230 | $71,230 | $110,870 | 630 | 1.03 |
| Arkansas | $59,810 | $47,450 | $78,440 | 140 | 0.55 |
| California | $135,000 | $78,660 | $218,880 | 3,140 | 0.91 |
| Colorado | $69,200 | $37,820 | $126,910 | 560 | 1.04 |
| Connecticut | $97,210 | $58,020 | $134,890 | 280 | 0.86 |
| Delaware | $100,260 | $52,090 | $162,360 | 60 | 0.67 |
| District of Columbia | $83,910 | $53,150 | $137,160 | 180 | 1.33 |
| Florida | $65,740 | $51,120 | $98,830 | 1,260 | 0.67 |
| Georgia | $73,430 | $38,850 | $108,090 | 460 | 0.5 |
| Idaho | Data unavailable | 80 | 0.49 | ||
| Illinois | $78,150 | $46,730 | $118,210 | 1,580 | 1.37 |
| Indiana | $65,390 | $48,760 | $107,480 | 670 | 1.1 |
| Iowa | $77,700 | $51,380 | $104,740 | 320 | 1.1 |
| Kansas | $64,180 | $30,370 | $137,740 | 300 | 1.11 |
| Kentucky | $62,380 | $33,520 | $105,720 | 470 | 1.23 |
| Louisiana | $77,250 | $51,130 | $123,690 | 170 | 0.46 |
| Maine | $78,000 | $58,300 | $111,440 | 60 | 0.51 |
| Maryland | $83,510 | $46,530 | $164,180 | 440 | 0.84 |
| Massachusetts | $82,610 | $60,730 | $161,740 | 1,110 | 1.62 |
| Michigan | $87,670 | $46,990 | $137,120 | 630 | 0.75 |
| Minnesota | $83,380 | $59,480 | $108,430 | 450 | 0.81 |
| Mississippi | $61,290 | $31,600 | $78,730 | 180 | 0.84 |
| Missouri | $71,830 | $48,150 | $107,640 | 480 | 0.86 |
| Montana | $78,110 | $50,110 | $131,670 | 60 | 0.63 |
| Nebraska | $79,180 | $49,380 | $137,260 | 90 | 0.46 |
| Nevada | $82,020 | $61,530 | $137,660 | 70 | 0.24 |
| New Hampshire | $95,760 | $67,570 | $109,250 | 40 | 0.34 |
| New Jersey | $77,780 | $32,220 | $132,870 | 1,380 | 1.7 |
| New Mexico | $49,880 | $42,680 | $89,270 | 400 | 2.41 |
| New York | $84,690 | $49,920 | $208,260 | 2,490 | 1.36 |
| North Carolina | $65,850 | $43,360 | $106,930 | 950 | 1.01 |
| North Dakota | $78,120 | $52,990 | $108,960 | 50 | 0.64 |
| Ohio | $77,660 | $40,240 | $105,780 | 1,390 | 1.33 |
| Oklahoma | $66,650 | $38,100 | $86,330 | 230 | 0.72 |
| Oregon | $98,900 | $48,930 | $233,790 | 490 | 1.32 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,790 | $48,950 | $116,140 | 1,530 | 1.33 |
| Puerto Rico | $82,880 | $48,440 | $110,780 | 50 | 0.27 |
| Rhode Island | $95,910 | $66,540 | $129,640 | 110 | 1.12 |
| South Carolina | $79,810 | $48,020 | $105,660 | 320 | 0.73 |
| South Dakota | $71,300 | $50,190 | $83,000 | 80 | 0.94 |
| Tennessee | $66,630 | $49,800 | $103,320 | 440 | 0.71 |
| Texas | $77,050 | $46,600 | $127,050 | 2,880 | 1.08 |
| Utah | $77,950 | $59,160 | $137,370 | 180 | 0.55 |
| Vermont | $76,120 | $48,150 | $115,450 | 60 | 1.13 |
| Virginia | $73,750 | $50,060 | $126,130 | 790 | 1.02 |
| Washington | $75,330 | $49,960 | $102,640 | 420 | 0.63 |
| West Virginia | $77,880 | $50,770 | $101,780 | 110 | 0.87 |
| Wisconsin | $78,780 | $53,180 | $118,400 | 640 | 1.15 |
| Wyoming | $76,760 | $48,480 | $96,320 | 50 | 0.97 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for communications teachers, postsecondary
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 2,400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.2%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for communications teachers, postsecondary
- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Communication, General CIP 09.0100
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric CIP 09.0101
- Mass Communication/Media Studies CIP 09.0102
- Journalism CIP 09.0401
- Broadcast Journalism CIP 09.0402
- Business and Economic Journalism CIP 09.0405
- Cultural Journalism CIP 09.0406
- Science/Health/Environmental Journalism CIP 09.0407
- Journalism, Other CIP 09.0499
- Radio and Television CIP 09.0701
- Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia CIP 09.0702
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication CIP 09.0900
- Public Relations/Image Management CIP 09.0902
- Advertising CIP 09.0903
- Political Communication CIP 09.0904
- Health Communication CIP 09.0905
- Sports Communication CIP 09.0906
- International and Intercultural Communication CIP 09.0907
- Technical and Scientific Communication CIP 09.0908
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other CIP 09.9999
- Documentary Production CIP 50.0607
- Business/Corporate Communications, General CIP 52.0501
- Business/Corporate Communications, Other CIP 52.0599
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as public speaking, media criticism, and oral traditions.
- Keep abreast of developments and technological advances in the communication field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
Technology skills
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Microsoft Windows (in demand)
- Learning management system LMS (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Google Docs (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Adobe Audition
- Apple Final Cut Pro
- Audacity
Transferable skills for career changers: Instructing, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Persuasion.
Common job titles: Communication Arts Professor, Communication Instructor, Communication Lecturer, Communication Professor, Communication Skills Instructor, Communication Studies Professor, Journalism Professor, Mass Communications Professor, Speech Instructor, Speech Professor.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do communications teachers, postsecondary make?
The national median annual wage for communications teachers, postsecondary was $78,580 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $47,590 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $143,720. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do communications teachers, postsecondary need?
BLS lists doctoral or professional degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is communications teachers, postsecondary a growing career?
BLS projects employment of communications teachers, postsecondary to change +2.1% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 2,400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay communications teachers, postsecondary the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were California ($135,000), Delaware ($100,260), Oregon ($98,900). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.