Education teachers, postsecondary salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,530 | Data unavailable |
| Median (50th percentile) | $75,350 | Data unavailable |
| Mean (average) | $79,350 | Data unavailable |
| 90th percentile | $126,860 | 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
Education teachers, postsecondary pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 51 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $63,730 | $46,750 | $100,490 | 840 | 1.02 |
| Arizona | $78,520 | $49,730 | $135,140 | 1,590 | 1.26 |
| Arkansas | $74,500 | $46,730 | $92,000 | 250 | 0.49 |
| California | $111,850 | $59,620 | $159,270 | 3,100 | 0.44 |
| Colorado | $66,870 | $32,000 | $107,200 | 1,060 | 0.95 |
| Connecticut | $80,620 | $49,100 | $127,400 | 900 | 1.35 |
| Delaware | Data unavailable | 120 | 0.64 | ||
| District of Columbia | $80,810 | $49,820 | $123,890 | 230 | 0.85 |
| Florida | $63,640 | $37,500 | $94,970 | 1,290 | 0.33 |
| Georgia | $62,510 | $15,080 | $92,890 | 1,750 | 0.92 |
| Hawaii | $49,800 | $47,190 | $96,650 | 460 | 1.86 |
| Idaho | $65,720 | $29,990 | $128,880 | 170 | 0.5 |
| Illinois | $61,560 | $37,690 | $100,000 | 3,930 | 1.65 |
| Indiana | $66,150 | $40,180 | $104,380 | 1,830 | 1.46 |
| Iowa | $62,090 | $29,850 | $130,120 | 690 | 1.12 |
| Kansas | $63,010 | $40,260 | $128,700 | 590 | 1.05 |
| Kentucky | $61,450 | $37,170 | $104,060 | 620 | 0.8 |
| Louisiana | $83,710 | $49,040 | $212,740 | 460 | 0.61 |
| Maine | $77,050 | $55,130 | $103,360 | 190 | 0.76 |
| Maryland | $78,820 | $31,760 | $125,900 | 870 | 0.81 |
| Massachusetts | $79,980 | $49,990 | $137,750 | 2,050 | 1.44 |
| Michigan | $79,910 | $45,300 | $138,850 | 1,140 | 0.66 |
| Minnesota | $78,950 | $48,410 | $125,400 | 950 | 0.82 |
| Mississippi | $61,860 | $31,440 | $103,070 | 430 | 0.96 |
| Missouri | $65,910 | $40,620 | $104,210 | 1,140 | 1 |
| Montana | $70,320 | $33,640 | $101,510 | 130 | 0.63 |
| Nebraska | $78,950 | $50,060 | $133,500 | 600 | 1.5 |
| Nevada | $74,240 | $45,620 | $123,390 | 310 | 0.51 |
| New Hampshire | $49,250 | $45,970 | $95,400 | 630 | 2.34 |
| New Jersey | $77,600 | $32,220 | $129,930 | 2,580 | 1.54 |
| New Mexico | $64,830 | $39,670 | $108,790 | 290 | 0.84 |
| New York | $82,020 | $51,680 | $168,280 | 5,430 | 1.43 |
| North Carolina | $70,050 | $41,030 | $105,820 | 2,130 | 1.1 |
| North Dakota | $77,540 | $48,520 | $103,850 | 230 | 1.36 |
| Ohio | $62,400 | $26,880 | $113,680 | 2,120 | 0.98 |
| Oklahoma | $60,880 | $22,380 | $90,230 | 560 | 0.84 |
| Oregon | $73,880 | $36,310 | $150,520 | 1,240 | 1.61 |
| Pennsylvania | $74,910 | $39,210 | $113,950 | 3,390 | 1.43 |
| Puerto Rico | $64,790 | $46,730 | $106,340 | 280 | 0.76 |
| Rhode Island | $80,030 | $50,300 | $125,510 | 190 | 0.97 |
| South Carolina | $66,690 | $33,150 | $105,770 | 1,270 | 1.41 |
| South Dakota | $63,350 | $55,550 | $82,690 | 190 | 1.08 |
| Tennessee | $72,390 | $47,330 | $103,790 | 950 | 0.74 |
| Texas | $68,280 | $37,270 | $108,130 | 6,400 | 1.16 |
| Utah | $77,090 | $43,100 | $108,230 | 330 | 0.48 |
| Vermont | $78,100 | $43,410 | $126,780 | 170 | 1.44 |
| Virginia | $77,060 | $41,650 | $124,330 | 1,630 | 1.01 |
| Washington | $75,170 | $50,540 | $103,650 | 1,270 | 0.91 |
| West Virginia | $63,270 | $45,310 | $99,210 | 320 | 1.15 |
| Wisconsin | $74,790 | $44,280 | $106,970 | 1,540 | 1.34 |
| Wyoming | $66,350 | $48,110 | $101,380 | 80 | 0.76 |
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 education teachers, postsecondary
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 5,300. 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 education teachers, postsecondary
- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- 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
- Education, General CIP 13.0101
- Bilingual and Multilingual Education CIP 13.0201
- Multicultural Education CIP 13.0202
- Indian/Native American Education CIP 13.0203
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education, Other CIP 13.0299
- Curriculum and Instruction CIP 13.0301
- Educational Evaluation and Research CIP 13.0601
- Educational Statistics and Research Methods CIP 13.0603
- Educational Assessment, Testing, and Measurement CIP 13.0604
- Learning Sciences CIP 13.0607
- Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Other CIP 13.0699
- Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education CIP 13.0901
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances CIP 13.1005
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities CIP 13.1006
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities CIP 13.1007
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic and Other Physical Health Impairments CIP 13.1008
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness CIP 13.1009
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities CIP 13.1011
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments CIP 13.1012
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism CIP 13.1013
- Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed CIP 13.1014
- Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs CIP 13.1015
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries CIP 13.1016
- Education/Teaching of Individuals in Elementary Special Education Programs CIP 13.1017
- Education/Teaching of Individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education Programs CIP 13.1018
- Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs CIP 13.1019
- Special Education and Teaching, Other CIP 13.1099
- Elementary Education and Teaching CIP 13.1202
- Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching CIP 13.1203
- Secondary Education and Teaching CIP 13.1205
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Supervise students' fieldwork, internship, and research work.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as children's literature, learning and development, and reading instruction.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Technology skills
- Learning management system LMS (in demand)
- Google Docs (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- SAS (hot technology)
- Blackboard Learn
- Blackboard software
- Collaborative editing software
- Course management system software
- DOC Cop
- Desire2Learn LMS software
- Desmos
- Editing software
Transferable skills for career changers: Instructing, Complex Problem Solving, Time Management, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Systems Analysis.
Common job titles: Adjunct Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Education Instructor, Education Professor, Faculty Member, Instructor, Lecturer, Professor, Special Education 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 education teachers, postsecondary make?
The national median annual wage for education teachers, postsecondary was $75,350 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $39,530 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $126,860. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do education teachers, postsecondary need?
BLS lists doctoral or professional degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with less than 5 years of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is education teachers, postsecondary a growing career?
BLS projects employment of education teachers, postsecondary to change +2.5% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 5,300 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay education teachers, postsecondary the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were California ($111,850), Louisiana ($83,710), New York ($82,020). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.