Social work teachers, postsecondary salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,200 | Data unavailable |
| Median (50th percentile) | $77,570 | Data unavailable |
| Mean (average) | $83,940 | Data unavailable |
| 90th percentile | $126,790 | 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
Social work teachers, postsecondary pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 44 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $66,520 | $51,130 | $103,710 | 240 | 1.39 |
| Arizona | $71,690 | $60,270 | $94,590 | 140 | 0.54 |
| Arkansas | $60,470 | $48,770 | $93,400 | 70 | 0.63 |
| California | $81,500 | $53,760 | $151,990 | 230 | 0.16 |
| Connecticut | $79,960 | $51,230 | $120,660 | 150 | 1.06 |
| Delaware | $100,550 | $69,100 | $133,440 | 50 | 1.19 |
| Florida | $60,580 | $55,790 | $96,050 | 90 | 0.12 |
| Georgia | $65,350 | $40,720 | $107,050 | 90 | 0.21 |
| Hawaii | $133,340 | $87,690 | $138,670 | 50 | 0.91 |
| Idaho | $62,230 | $49,730 | $135,240 | 80 | 1.12 |
| Illinois | $77,010 | $42,690 | $129,450 | 510 | 1.03 |
| Indiana | $74,240 | $50,430 | $128,780 | 440 | 1.69 |
| Iowa | $64,190 | $44,730 | $129,840 | 140 | 1.09 |
| Kansas | $108,610 | $50,980 | $129,220 | 50 | 0.44 |
| Kentucky | $65,260 | $41,280 | $103,340 | 280 | 1.73 |
| Maine | $80,250 | $51,890 | $149,430 | 90 | 1.71 |
| Maryland | $97,110 | $66,690 | $139,930 | 230 | 1.03 |
| Massachusetts | $79,710 | $52,520 | $136,250 | 650 | 2.19 |
| Michigan | $76,680 | $33,240 | $136,990 | 610 | 1.72 |
| Minnesota | $82,470 | $51,530 | $102,860 | 360 | 1.5 |
| Mississippi | $63,680 | $43,850 | $96,940 | 200 | 2.07 |
| Missouri | $66,470 | $39,770 | $114,710 | 150 | 0.65 |
| Montana | $43,010 | $41,860 | $75,370 | ||
| Nebraska | $61,430 | $30,250 | $106,850 | 50 | 0.55 |
| Nevada | $74,180 | $48,540 | $118,820 | 70 | 0.55 |
| New Hampshire | $75,500 | $41,940 | $99,340 | 50 | 0.84 |
| New Jersey | $77,570 | $49,910 | $155,850 | 450 | 1.29 |
| New Mexico | $69,950 | $48,680 | $99,370 | 210 | 3.01 |
| New York | $98,700 | $65,310 | $127,980 | 1,840 | 2.34 |
| North Carolina | $68,660 | $43,970 | $103,990 | 580 | 1.44 |
| Ohio | $60,930 | $22,260 | $100,950 | 670 | 1.49 |
| Oklahoma | $60,910 | $45,260 | $85,490 | 80 | 0.57 |
| Oregon | $74,320 | $39,880 | $104,740 | 220 | 1.36 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,920 | $40,960 | $125,310 | 1,050 | 2.13 |
| Puerto Rico | $66,990 | $48,280 | $197,080 | 70 | 0.97 |
| South Carolina | $100,400 | $61,960 | $162,960 | 80 | 0.44 |
| South Dakota | $60,100 | $55,200 | $83,570 | 100 | 2.67 |
| Tennessee | $75,190 | $49,170 | $99,900 | 240 | 0.89 |
| Texas | $83,440 | $40,340 | $135,490 | 90 | 0.08 |
| Utah | $81,850 | $61,140 | $122,110 | 100 | 0.7 |
| Virginia | $77,180 | $50,020 | $125,930 | 390 | 1.17 |
| Washington | $77,920 | $52,320 | $130,070 | 200 | 0.7 |
| West Virginia | $76,320 | $51,280 | $109,940 | 80 | 1.46 |
| Wisconsin | $76,420 | $48,720 | $114,440 | 400 | 1.67 |
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 social work teachers, postsecondary
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 1,100. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- 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 social work 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
- Gerontology CIP 30.1101
- Social Work CIP 44.0701
- Forensic Social Work CIP 44.0703
- Social Work, Other CIP 44.0799
- Clinical/Medical Social Work CIP 51.1503
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, or handouts.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Supervise students' laboratory and field work.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as family behavior, child and adolescent mental health, or social intervention evaluation.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
Technology skills
- Learning management system LMS (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- 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)
- Blackboard Learn
- Collaborative editing software
- Course management system software
- DOC Cop
- Desire2Learn LMS software
- Email software
- Image scanning software
- Moodle
Transferable skills for career changers: Instructing, Social Perceptiveness, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, Service Orientation.
Common job titles: Adjunct Professor, Assistant Professor, Clinical Professor, Faculty Member, Field Education Coordinator, Professor, Social Work Associate Professor, Social Work Instructor, Social Work Lecturer, Social Work 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 social work teachers, postsecondary make?
The national median annual wage for social work teachers, postsecondary was $77,570 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $48,200 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $126,790. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do social work 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 social work teachers, postsecondary a growing career?
BLS projects employment of social work teachers, postsecondary to change +2.6% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 1,100 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay social work teachers, postsecondary the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Hawaii ($133,340), Kansas ($108,610), Delaware ($100,550). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.