Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,800 | Data unavailable |
| Median (50th percentile) | $80,250 | Data unavailable |
| Mean (average) | $86,410 | Data unavailable |
| 90th percentile | $129,500 | 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
Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $79,690 | $48,100 | $122,930 | 1,460 | 1.38 |
| Alaska | $85,650 | $60,530 | $133,090 | ||
| Arizona | $78,980 | $50,400 | $119,880 | 1,930 | 1.19 |
| Arkansas | $63,090 | $48,960 | $93,060 | 830 | 1.27 |
| California | $81,960 | $47,840 | $164,450 | 5,610 | 0.61 |
| Colorado | $82,530 | $39,850 | $127,800 | 1,350 | 0.93 |
| Connecticut | $95,500 | $60,790 | $130,380 | 1,380 | 1.63 |
| Delaware | $98,170 | $61,800 | $137,820 | 240 | 1 |
| District of Columbia | $107,770 | $65,250 | $173,600 | 110 | 0.32 |
| Florida | $82,410 | $56,830 | $109,910 | 4,320 | 0.87 |
| Georgia | $77,720 | $44,480 | $111,820 | 1,590 | 0.65 |
| Hawaii | $129,530 | $103,160 | $129,640 | 1,890 | 6.02 |
| Idaho | $90,890 | $46,940 | $145,940 | 430 | 1 |
| Illinois | $79,150 | $47,690 | $103,220 | 4,940 | 1.62 |
| Indiana | $76,080 | $48,740 | $107,420 | 1,520 | 0.95 |
| Iowa | $77,360 | $49,450 | $104,820 | 770 | 0.98 |
| Kansas | $62,870 | $47,940 | $91,220 | 470 | 0.65 |
| Kentucky | $71,920 | $47,730 | $105,880 | 1,130 | 1.12 |
| Louisiana | $79,960 | $49,370 | $127,910 | 440 | 0.46 |
| Maine | $79,600 | $59,970 | $118,810 | 420 | 1.31 |
| Maryland | $84,050 | $33,830 | $126,460 | 840 | 0.61 |
| Massachusetts | $85,130 | $62,200 | $138,240 | 2,280 | 1.25 |
| Michigan | $78,870 | $36,400 | $124,460 | 1,740 | 0.79 |
| Minnesota | $81,280 | $61,760 | $123,810 | 1,340 | 0.91 |
| Mississippi | $75,060 | $61,150 | $106,400 | 1,050 | 1.8 |
| Missouri | $76,340 | $48,610 | $119,050 | 1,040 | 0.7 |
| Montana | $77,980 | $48,560 | $99,800 | 240 | 0.94 |
| Nebraska | $82,720 | $62,980 | $121,250 | 300 | 0.58 |
| Nevada | $96,500 | $57,670 | $121,190 | 870 | 1.11 |
| New Hampshire | $78,310 | $63,100 | $102,870 | 320 | 0.92 |
| New Jersey | $76,980 | $32,220 | $128,910 | 2,000 | 0.93 |
| New Mexico | $79,380 | $42,680 | $109,880 | 320 | 0.73 |
| New York | $82,950 | $49,840 | $145,230 | 6,340 | 1.3 |
| North Carolina | $80,400 | $59,770 | $110,620 | 2,560 | 1.03 |
| North Dakota | $80,710 | $61,020 | $106,380 | 150 | 0.68 |
| Ohio | $76,700 | $31,380 | $101,340 | 4,290 | 1.54 |
| Oklahoma | $67,840 | $51,780 | $84,830 | 640 | 0.74 |
| Oregon | $78,050 | $46,900 | $130,810 | 450 | 0.46 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,460 | $47,280 | $107,640 | 4,290 | 1.41 |
| Puerto Rico | $58,210 | $45,530 | $100,830 | 380 | 0.8 |
| Rhode Island | $78,340 | $50,890 | $106,220 | 260 | 1.04 |
| South Carolina | $79,540 | $60,510 | $128,210 | 1,150 | 1 |
| South Dakota | $66,630 | $59,160 | $97,260 | 250 | 1.1 |
| Tennessee | $80,050 | $60,090 | $109,830 | 1,150 | 0.7 |
| Texas | $84,930 | $50,760 | $137,530 | 6,830 | 0.97 |
| Utah | $82,320 | $50,190 | $106,850 | 580 | 0.67 |
| Vermont | $66,660 | $63,510 | $95,600 | ||
| Virginia | $82,550 | $57,380 | $118,110 | 1,670 | 0.81 |
| Washington | $81,630 | $58,320 | $133,840 | 1,300 | 0.73 |
| West Virginia | $62,210 | $47,400 | $90,270 | 400 | 1.14 |
| Wisconsin | $84,700 | $53,760 | $114,440 | 1,760 | 1.19 |
| Wyoming | $72,590 | $49,360 | $101,580 | 150 | 1.07 |
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 nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 8,500. 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 nursing instructors and 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
- Nursing Education CIP 51.3203
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse CIP 51.3801
- Adult Health Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3803
- Nurse Anesthetist CIP 51.3804
- Family Practice Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3805
- Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3806
- Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery CIP 51.3807
- Nursing Science CIP 51.3808
- Pediatric Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3809
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3810
- Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3811
- Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3812
- Clinical Nurse Specialist CIP 51.3813
- Critical Care Nursing CIP 51.3814
- Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing CIP 51.3815
- Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing CIP 51.3816
- Nursing Practice CIP 51.3818
- Palliative Care Nursing CIP 51.3819
- Clinical Nurse Leader CIP 51.3820
- Geriatric Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3821
- Women's Health Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3822
- Forensic Nursing CIP 51.3824
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other CIP 51.3899
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory and clinic work, assignments, and papers.
- Supervise students' laboratory and clinical work.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Assess clinical education needs and patient and client teaching needs using a variety of methods.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as pharmacology, mental health nursing, and community health care practices.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Demonstrate patient care in clinical units of hospitals.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Learning management system LMS (in demand)
- Google Docs (hot technology)
- MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Blackboard Learn
- Blackboard software
- Collaborative editing software
- Common Curriculum
- Course management system software
- DOC Cop
- Desire2Learn LMS software
- Email software
Transferable skills for career changers: Instructing, Judgment and Decision Making, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Complex Problem Solving, Service Orientation.
Common job titles: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Clinical Nursing Instructor, Faculty Member, Instructor, Lecturer, Nurse Educator, Nursing Instructor, Nursing Professor, 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 nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary make?
The national median annual wage for nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary was $80,250 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $48,800 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $129,500. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do nursing instructors and 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 nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary a growing career?
BLS projects employment of nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary to change +17.1% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 8,500 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Hawaii ($129,530), District of Columbia ($107,770), Delaware ($98,170). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.