25 Series · SOC 25-1121

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Salary

National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).

$78,620
Median / year
-2%
2024→2025
$163,350
Top 10% earn
+1.7%
Growth '24–'34
93,560
Estimated US jobs

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $78,620 per year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $78,620, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $47,570 (10th percentile) to $163,350 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 93,560 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is Delaware ($103,320).

25 Series · Source: BLS OEWS Compare with another job →
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The pay verdict

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $78,620, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 71% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Educational Instruction and Library, it ranks #28 of 64 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 1.7% by 2034.

$78,620
Median annual wage
Top 29%
of 825 US occupations with published wages
#28 of 64
in Educational Instruction and Library
3.4×
90th-to-10th pay spread

Highest-paying state: Delaware at $103,320. Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.

Observed pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025

May 2019 → May 2025
  • The published national median for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary moved from $69,530 in May 2019 to $78,620 in May 2025 (+13.1%).
  • Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
  • Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary sits -11.4 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1121) has a national median of $78,620 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $47,570 to $163,350, and the published mean is $94,700. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 93,560 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 50 state or territory areas and 208 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $80,190 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $78,620 in May 2025, a fall of $1,570 (-2%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.

BLS Employment Projections forecast a +1.7% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as about as fast as average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 9,000 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Master's degree as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Educational Instruction and Library Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.

Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Delaware pays the highest state median at $103,320, which is +31% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA at $163,750. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.

BLS OEWS May 2025 93,560 jobs Median $78,620/yr

Median Salary

$78,620

per year

Median Hourly

N/A

per hour

Mean Salary

$94,700

average

Employment

93,560

jobs nationwide

How does this pay compare nationally?

Where Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pay sits nationally

Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median

$78,620 Top 29% higher than 71% of 825 US occupations

$0–$20,000: 0 US occupations (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 98 US occupations (12%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 298 US occupations (36%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 209 US occupations (25%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 82 US occupations (10%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 58 US occupations (7%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 32 US occupations (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 14 US occupations (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 9 US occupations (1%). Above this entry. $180,000 and above: 25 US occupations (3%). Above this entry. This job $0 $180,000+ every BLS occupation, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$20,000 0 US occupations 0%
$20,000–$40,000 98 US occupations 12%
$40,000–$60,000 298 US occupations 36%
$60,000–$80,000 (this entry) 209 US occupations 25%
$80,000–$100,000 82 US occupations 10%
$100,000–$120,000 58 US occupations 7%
$120,000–$140,000 32 US occupations 4%
$140,000–$160,000 14 US occupations 2%
$160,000–$180,000 9 US occupations 1%
$180,000 and above 25 US occupations 3%

$78,620 · 71st percentile of 825 US occupations

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Does this job pay well and grow?

Each dot is a 25-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).

Among 24 25-series occupations with growth data, Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary sits on the slower-growing side at +1.7% growth and $78,620 median pay. Scatter plot of 24 data points. $20000$40000$60000$80000$100000$120000 -5%0%5%10%15%20% Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) Median annual wage Teaching Assistants,… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -1.5% · Median annual wage: $36780Elementary School Te… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -2% · Median annual wage: $63970Secondary School Tea… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -1.6% · Median annual wage: $72040Middle School Teache… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -2% · Median annual wage: $64370Substitute Teachers,… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1.6% · Median annual wage: $41670Preschool Teachers, … - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.1% · Median annual wage: $38140Self-Enrichment Teac… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.7% · Median annual wage: $46800Special Education Te… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -1.8% · Median annual wage: $65120Instructional Coordi… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1.3% · Median annual wage: $77440Health Specialties T… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 17.3% · Median annual wage: $107310Tutors - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 0.6% · Median annual wage: $43350Teaching Assistants,… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.1% · Median annual wage: $42910Special Education Te… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -1.6% · Median annual wage: $74260Postsecondary Teache… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1.8% · Median annual wage: $77640Librarians and Media… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1.7% · Median annual wage: $68270Educational Instruct… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1.5% · Median annual wage: $50890Career/Technical Edu… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 0.7% · Median annual wage: $63820Teachers and Instruc… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -0.1% · Median annual wage: $66140Career/Technical Edu… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -1.8% · Median annual wage: $66270Kindergarten Teacher… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -1.6% · Median annual wage: $62680Special Education Te… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -1.9% · Median annual wage: $66810Art, Drama, and Musi… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1.7% · Median annual wage: $78620Business Teachers, P… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 5.7% · Median annual wage: $99080Nursing Instructors … - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 16.8% · Median annual wage: $80250
Among 24 25-series occupations with growth data, Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary sits on the slower-growing side at +1.7% growth and $78,620 median pay.
Read the chart as text
  • Teaching Assistants,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.5%, Median annual wage $36780
  • Elementary School Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2%, Median annual wage $63970
  • Secondary School Tea…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.6%, Median annual wage $72040
  • Middle School Teache…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2%, Median annual wage $64370
  • Substitute Teachers,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.6%, Median annual wage $41670
  • Preschool Teachers, …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.1%, Median annual wage $38140
  • Self-Enrichment Teac…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.7%, Median annual wage $46800
  • Special Education Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.8%, Median annual wage $65120
  • Instructional Coordi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.3%, Median annual wage $77440
  • Health Specialties T…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 17.3%, Median annual wage $107310
  • Tutors: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $43350
  • Teaching Assistants,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.1%, Median annual wage $42910
  • Special Education Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.6%, Median annual wage $74260
  • Postsecondary Teache…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.8%, Median annual wage $77640
  • Librarians and Media…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $68270
  • Educational Instruct…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.5%, Median annual wage $50890
  • Career/Technical Edu…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.7%, Median annual wage $63820
  • Teachers and Instruc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.1%, Median annual wage $66140
  • Career/Technical Edu…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.8%, Median annual wage $66270
  • Kindergarten Teacher…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.6%, Median annual wage $62680
  • Special Education Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.9%, Median annual wage $66810
  • Art, Drama, and Musi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $78620
  • Business Teachers, P…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.7%, Median annual wage $99080
  • Nursing Instructors …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 16.8%, Median annual wage $80250

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Projected Growth

+1.7%

About as fast as average

Annual Openings

9,000

per year (projected)

Employment Change

+2,100

122,800 (2024) → 124,800 (2034)

Typical Education

Master's degree

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034

Workplace Safety

All safety ratings →
Group

Educational Instruction and Library Occupations context

Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade

Fatality Rate

0.3/100K

Injury Rate

0.8/100

Danger Index

3.4/100

Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023

Career Intelligence

Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.

Top Skills

Speaking 4.6
Instructing 4.4
Learning Strategies 4.1
Reading Comprehension 4.0
Active Listening 4.0
Active Learning 4.0
Writing 3.9
Monitoring 3.8
Critical Thinking 3.6
Social Perceptiveness 3.6

Knowledge Areas

Fine Arts 4.9
Education and Training 4.7
English Language 4.3
Communications and Media 3.6
Psychology 3.4
History and Archeology 3.4
Philosophy and Theology 3.2
Computers and Electronics 3.2
Sociology and Anthropology 3.1
Customer and Personal Service 3.0

Key Tasks

  • Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.
  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
  • Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.
  • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
  • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as acting techniques, fundamentals of music, and art history.
  • Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
  • Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
  • Organize performance groups and direct their rehearsals.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  • Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.

Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.

Salary Range

Annual Salary Distribution

10th$47,570
25th$61,620
Median$78,620
75th$103,850
90th$163,350

Hourly Rate Distribution

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pay history, 2015–2025

Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.

$60,000$65,000$70,000$75,000$80,000$85,000 20152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 National median - 2015: $65,340National median - 2016: $68,650National median - 2017: $66,930National median - 2018: $69,960National median - 2019: $69,530National median - 2020: $69,690National median - 2021: $75,940National median - 2022: $77,280National median - 2023: $80,360National median - 2024: $80,190National median - 2025: $78,620$78,620
National median annual wage for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary, May 2015 to May 2025 OEWS releases
Read the chart as text
Period National median
2015 $65,340
2016 $68,650
2017 $66,930
2018 $69,960
2019 $69,530
2020 $69,690
2021 $75,940
2022 $77,280
2023 $80,360
2024 $80,190
2025 $78,620

2015 median

$65,340

2025 median

$78,620

2019–2025 change (same SOC)

+$9,090 (+13.1%)

Avg/year (same SOC)

+2.1%

Published national median annual wage and estimated employment for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary by OEWS release year
Release Median Change Estimated jobs
May 2015 $65,340 First banked release 98,310
May 2016 $68,650 +5.1% 99,020
May 2017 $66,930 -2.5% 95,110
May 2018 $69,960 +4.5% 94,310
May 2019 $69,530 Classification break 94,060
May 2020 $69,690 +0.2% 91,170
May 2021 $75,940 +9.0% 94,720
May 2022 $77,280 +1.8% 97,830
May 2023 $80,360 +4.0% 101,500
May 2024 $80,190 -0.2% 97,890
May 2025 $78,620 -2.0% 93,560

Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $65,340 in May 2015 to $78,620 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +2.1% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 94,060 in May 2019 to 93,560 in May 2025.

Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.

Salary by State

View all 50 states →
# State Median Salary vs National
1 Delaware $103,320 +31% above national
2 California $99,410 +26% above national
3 New York $98,850 +26% above national
4 Vermont $97,980 +25% above national
5 Rhode Island $97,580 +24% above national
6 District of Columbia $96,900 +23% above national
7 Massachusetts $85,820 +9% above national
8 Maryland $85,590 +9% above national
9 Michigan $82,990 +6% above national
10 New Jersey $80,100 +2% above national
11 Georgia $79,870 +2% above national
12 Maine $79,860 +2% above national
13 New Hampshire $79,090 +1% above national
14 Louisiana $78,710 same as national
15 Connecticut $78,600 same as national
16 Montana $78,420 same as national
17 Ohio $78,050 1% below national
18 Washington $77,950 1% below national
19 Minnesota $77,760 1% below national
20 Iowa $77,740 1% below national
21 Texas $77,560 1% below national
22 Wisconsin $77,560 1% below national
23 Pennsylvania $77,280 2% below national
24 Oregon $76,770 2% below national
25 New Mexico $76,240 3% below national
26 Indiana $76,050 3% below national
27 Missouri $75,960 3% below national
28 Nebraska $75,200 4% below national
29 Virginia $74,870 5% below national
30 North Carolina $73,800 6% below national
31 West Virginia $73,280 7% below national
32 Idaho $72,300 8% below national
33 Arizona $72,060 8% below national
34 Tennessee $72,030 8% below national
35 Colorado $70,060 11% below national
36 North Dakota $67,190 15% below national
37 Utah $66,220 16% below national
38 Kentucky $64,440 18% below national
39 Florida $63,820 19% below national
40 Alabama $63,540 19% below national
41 Puerto Rico $63,500 19% below national
42 South Dakota $63,380 19% below national
43 Illinois $62,960 20% below national
44 South Carolina $62,420 21% below national
45 Oklahoma $62,200 21% below national
46 Kansas $61,260 22% below national
47 Arkansas $60,650 23% below national
48 Mississippi $60,580 23% below national
49 Wyoming $59,190 25% below national
50 Nevada $52,870 33% below national

Salary by Metro Area

View all 149 metro areas →
# Metro Area Median Salary vs National
1 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $163,750 +108% above national
2 Fresno, CA $135,970 +73% above national
3 Visalia, CA $128,910 +64% above national
4 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $127,800 +63% above national
5 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $124,680 +59% above national
6 Trenton-Princeton, NJ $104,910 +33% above national
7 Charlottesville, VA $104,570 +33% above national
8 Ithaca, NY $102,910 +31% above national
9 Eugene-Springfield, OR $101,270 +29% above national
10 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $101,010 +28% above national
11 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $100,950 +28% above national
12 Pittsfield, MA $100,490 +28% above national
13 Lincoln, NE $98,800 +26% above national
14 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $96,170 +22% above national
15 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $96,050 +22% above national
16 Binghamton, NY $95,160 +21% above national
17 College Station-Bryan, TX $94,740 +21% above national
18 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $94,490 +20% above national
19 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $94,370 +20% above national
20 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $91,490 +16% above national
21 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $87,760 +12% above national
22 Salem, OR $86,800 +10% above national
23 St. Cloud, MN $85,820 +9% above national
24 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $85,590 +9% above national
25 Bloomington, IN $84,830 +8% above national
26 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $84,190 +7% above national
27 Raleigh-Cary, NC $84,140 +7% above national
28 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $84,060 +7% above national
29 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $83,550 +6% above national
30 Amarillo, TX $83,280 +6% above national
31 New Orleans-Metairie, LA $82,750 +5% above national
32 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $82,480 +5% above national
33 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $82,030 +4% above national
34 Cleveland, OH $81,810 +4% above national
35 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $81,790 +4% above national
36 Worcester, MA $81,670 +4% above national
37 Burlington-South Burlington, VT $81,520 +4% above national
38 Syracuse, NY $81,420 +4% above national
39 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $81,050 +3% above national
40 Utica-Rome, NY $80,990 +3% above national
41 Columbus, OH $80,700 +3% above national
42 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $80,190 +2% above national
43 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX $80,000 +2% above national
44 Bangor, ME $79,910 +2% above national
45 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN $79,720 +1% above national
46 Pittsburgh, PA $79,610 +1% above national
47 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI $79,550 +1% above national
48 Terre Haute, IN $79,130 +1% above national
49 Manchester-Nashua, NH $79,080 +1% above national
50 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $79,010 same as national
51 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $79,010 same as national
52 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA $78,970 same as national
53 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV $78,950 same as national
54 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $78,910 same as national
55 Columbia, SC $78,880 same as national
56 Abilene, TX $78,630 same as national
57 New Haven, CT $78,600 same as national
58 St. Louis, MO-IL $78,510 same as national
59 Cedar Rapids, IA $78,500 same as national
60 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $78,380 same as national
61 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH $78,140 1% below national
62 Knoxville, TN $78,080 1% below national
63 Springfield, MA $78,010 1% below national
64 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $78,000 1% below national
65 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX $77,970 1% below national
66 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA $77,910 1% below national
67 Birmingham, AL $77,850 1% below national
68 Lafayette, LA $77,510 1% below national
69 Harrisonburg, VA $77,480 1% below national
70 Fayetteville, NC $77,430 2% below national
71 Greensboro-High Point, NC $77,340 2% below national
72 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN $77,210 2% below national
73 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $77,060 2% below national
74 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $76,810 2% below national
75 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $76,710 2% below national
76 Lancaster, PA $76,450 3% below national
77 Toledo, OH $76,350 3% below national
78 Mankato, MN $76,320 3% below national
79 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $76,190 3% below national
80 Walla Walla, WA $76,130 3% below national
81 Wilmington, NC $76,110 3% below national
82 Peoria, IL $75,960 3% below national
83 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT $75,940 3% below national
84 Columbia, MO $75,810 4% below national
85 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $75,730 4% below national
86 Pueblo, CO $75,730 4% below national
87 Portland-South Portland, ME $75,680 4% below national
88 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $75,660 4% below national
89 Omaha, NE-IA $75,650 4% below national
90 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $75,490 4% below national
91 Flagstaff, AZ $75,430 4% below national
92 Reading, PA $75,200 4% below national
93 Janesville-Beloit, WI $74,950 5% below national
94 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL $74,850 5% below national
95 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI $74,800 5% below national
96 Greenville, NC $74,200 6% below national
97 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $73,990 6% below national
98 Richmond, VA $73,940 6% below national
99 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $72,970 7% below national
100 Colorado Springs, CO $72,750 7% below national
101 Duluth, MN-WI $71,950 8% below national
102 Kansas City, MO-KS $71,870 9% below national
103 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $71,500 9% below national
104 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH $71,430 9% below national
105 Auburn-Opelika, AL $71,290 9% below national
106 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $71,230 9% below national
107 Springfield, MO $70,130 11% below national
108 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $70,060 11% below national
109 Tulsa, OK $67,680 14% below national
110 Fort Wayne, IN $67,210 15% below national
111 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN $66,980 15% below national
112 Lexington-Fayette, KY $66,570 15% below national
113 Bloomington, IL $66,300 16% below national
114 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO $66,150 16% below national
115 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $65,800 16% below national
116 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $65,470 17% below national
117 Killeen-Temple, TX $65,190 17% below national
118 Greeley, CO $64,220 18% below national
119 Laredo, TX $63,830 19% below national
120 Jacksonville, FL $63,820 19% below national
121 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $63,780 19% below national
122 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR $63,500 19% below national
123 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $63,300 19% below national
124 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $62,960 20% below national
125 Montgomery, AL $62,930 20% below national
126 Mobile, AL $62,840 20% below national
127 Erie, PA $62,760 20% below national
128 Oklahoma City, OK $62,720 20% below national
129 Huntsville, AL $62,620 20% below national
130 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $62,170 21% below national
131 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $62,130 21% below national
132 Chattanooga, TN-GA $61,970 21% below national
133 Joplin, MO-KS $61,740 21% below national
134 Jackson, MS $61,650 22% below national
135 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT $61,600 22% below national
136 Tuscaloosa, AL $61,380 22% below national
137 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $61,290 22% below national
138 Tyler, TX $61,250 22% below national
139 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $61,140 22% below national
140 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $60,700 23% below national
141 Boise City, ID $60,480 23% below national
142 El Paso, TX $60,440 23% below national
143 Canton-Massillon, OH $59,590 24% below national
144 Tallahassee, FL $58,970 25% below national
145 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL $58,830 25% below national
146 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC $58,390 26% below national
147 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $58,230 26% below national
148 Roanoke, VA $54,880 30% below national
149 Asheville, NC $50,920 35% below national

Same SOC major group

Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 25 (Educational Instruction and Library Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.

Showing 5 of 63 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.

Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale

Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Educational Instruction and Library Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($78,620 here) and reported employment (93,560 jobs here).

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary make?
The median annual salary for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary is $78,620 ($N/A/hour). The salary range spans from $47,570 at the 10th percentile to $163,350 at the 90th percentile.
Where does Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pay rank nationally?
At a published national median of $78,620, Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pay is higher than 71% of the 825 detailed occupations with a published BLS annual median in the May 2025 OEWS release. This compares occupation-level medians, not individual workers, job offers, or this occupation's own worker pay-percentile range.
What state pays Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary the most?
Delaware pays the highest median salary for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary at $103,320/year, which is +31% above the national median.
What education do Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary need?
BLS assigns Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary to Master's degree for typical education needed for entry.
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary?
BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary in this release. WageDex shows the Educational Instruction and Library Occupations SOC-group rate only as broad context and does not rank it as this occupation's measured rate.
Is Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary a good career?
Employment for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary is projected to grow 1.7% from 2024 to 2034, which is about as fast as average. About 9,000 openings are projected each year.
How does Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pay vary by state?
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary salaries vary significantly by state. The highest-paying state is Delaware at $103,320/year, while Nevada pays the least at $52,870/year. BLS data covers 50 states and territories.
Which metro areas pay the most for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary?
The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA at $163,750/year. BLS reports a median for 149 metropolitan areas for this occupation. The ranking does not establish why values differ.

What to do with this data

How to use Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pay figures in a real decision

  • The 75th-percentile wage is about $103,850/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
  • Location moves pay significantly: Delaware leads at $103,320/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
  • Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs

These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.

Data as of May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 annual release. Employment projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034. Data reflects cross-industry estimates for all ownership types.

These are survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. See how to use them.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.