Law teachers, postsecondary salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $64,250 | Data unavailable |
| Median (50th percentile) | $128,500 | Data unavailable |
| Mean (average) | $144,770 | Data unavailable |
| 90th percentile | $287,900 | 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
Law teachers, postsecondary pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 35 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $135,340 | $30,490 | $199,470 | 40 | 0.16 |
| Arizona | $131,950 | $79,560 | $213,950 | 60 | 0.13 |
| Arkansas | $95,630 | $42,990 | $167,410 | 30 | 0.18 |
| California | $119,540 | $72,850 | $284,350 | 7,800 | 3.32 |
| District of Columbia | $134,090 | $82,600 | $212,620 | 670 | 7.39 |
| Florida | $102,720 | $62,610 | $214,540 | 720 | 0.56 |
| Georgia | Data unavailable | 150 | 0.24 | ||
| Idaho | $106,810 | $106,810 | $164,280 | 40 | 0.34 |
| Illinois | $107,700 | $50,900 | $275,360 | 470 | 0.59 |
| Indiana | $139,400 | $68,070 | $302,180 | 180 | 0.44 |
| Iowa | $160,700 | $74,080 | $295,050 | 90 | 0.47 |
| Kansas | $138,670 | $15,080 | $316,190 | 50 | 0.25 |
| Kentucky | $140,820 | $42,900 | $256,790 | 120 | 0.45 |
| Maine | $136,400 | $60,770 | $279,870 | 50 | 0.55 |
| Maryland | $139,980 | $79,480 | $224,330 | 180 | 0.5 |
| Massachusetts | $132,010 | $79,480 | $323,630 | 840 | 1.8 |
| Michigan | $141,680 | $65,790 | $310,710 | 330 | 0.58 |
| Minnesota | $171,790 | $80,170 | $300,960 | 80 | 0.21 |
| Mississippi | $74,440 | $64,350 | $97,590 | 40 | 0.27 |
| Nebraska | $127,690 | $63,110 | $209,320 | 100 | 0.78 |
| New Hampshire | $157,800 | $89,300 | $317,560 | 90 | 1.04 |
| New Jersey | $135,760 | $50,800 | $299,620 | 470 | 0.84 |
| New York | $132,180 | $66,020 | $326,080 | 2,190 | 1.75 |
| North Carolina | $97,090 | $52,450 | $341,680 | 450 | 0.71 |
| Ohio | $75,930 | $22,260 | $203,930 | 250 | 0.35 |
| Oregon | $167,010 | $49,360 | $179,030 | 250 | 0.97 |
| Pennsylvania | $121,310 | $62,780 | $209,130 | 710 | 0.9 |
| Rhode Island | $128,490 | $61,520 | $205,620 | ||
| South Carolina | $162,400 | $76,090 | $302,400 | 110 | 0.36 |
| Tennessee | Data unavailable | 160 | 0.37 | ||
| Texas | $138,160 | $77,840 | $274,800 | 880 | 0.48 |
| Utah | $68,270 | $30,940 | $215,140 | 120 | 0.52 |
| Virginia | $136,270 | $50,030 | $304,760 | 400 | 0.75 |
| Washington | $125,210 | $62,690 | $208,730 | 150 | 0.33 |
| Wisconsin | $140,940 | $83,940 | $232,590 | 150 | 0.4 |
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 law teachers, postsecondary
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 1,800. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.3%.
- 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 law 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
- Law CIP 22.0101
- Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General CIP 22.0201
- American/U.S. Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence CIP 22.0203
- Canadian Law/Legal Studies/Jurisprudence CIP 22.0204
- Banking, Corporate, Finance, and Securities Law CIP 22.0205
- Comparative Law CIP 22.0206
- Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law CIP 22.0207
- Health Law CIP 22.0208
- International Law and Legal Studies CIP 22.0209
- International Business, Trade, and Tax Law CIP 22.0210
- Tax Law/Taxation CIP 22.0211
- Intellectual Property Law CIP 22.0212
- Patent Law CIP 22.0213
- Agriculture Law CIP 22.0214
- Arts and Entertainment Law CIP 22.0215
- Compliance Law CIP 22.0216
- Criminal Law and Procedure CIP 22.0217
- Entrepreneurship Law CIP 22.0218
- Family/Child/Elder Law CIP 22.0219
- Human Resources Law CIP 22.0220
- Insurance Law CIP 22.0221
- Real Estate and Land Development Law CIP 22.0222
- Transportation Law CIP 22.0223
- Tribal/Indigenous Law CIP 22.0224
- Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies, Other CIP 22.0299
- Dispute Resolution CIP 30.2801
- Religious/Canon Law CIP 39.0802
- Labor and Industrial Relations CIP 52.1002
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, papers, and oral presentations.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as civil procedure, contracts, and torts.
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)
- ACD Systems Canvas
- AbacusNext HotDocs
- Blackboard Learn
- CT Summation iBlaze
- Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction CALI Author
- Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction CALI Classcaster
- Collaborative editing software
- Collateral Consequences Calculator
- Course management system software
Transferable skills for career changers: Instructing, Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, Social Perceptiveness, Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation.
Common job titles: Business Law Professor, Clinical Law Professor, Law Instructor, Law Professor, Legal Studies Professor, Legal Writing Professor, Paralegal Instructor, Paralegal Studies Professor, School Law Professor, Special Education Law 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 law teachers, postsecondary make?
The national median annual wage for law teachers, postsecondary was $128,500 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $64,250 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $287,900. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do law 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 law teachers, postsecondary a growing career?
BLS projects employment of law teachers, postsecondary to change +2.6% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 1,800 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay law teachers, postsecondary the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Minnesota ($171,790), Oregon ($167,010), South Carolina ($162,400). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.