Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of postsecondary social work teachers to grow 2.6% from 2025 to 2035 (about 400 more jobs), with about 1,100 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $77,570 a year ranks 251st of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +2.6%
- Openings a year
- 1,100
- Median pay
- $77,570
- Pay rank
- 251st of 825
Is employment of postsecondary social work teachers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of postsecondary social work teachers to rise 2.6% (about 400 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +1.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 64 educational instruction and library occupations with a projection. That change ranks 427th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 16,000 |
| Employment, 2035 | 16,400 |
| Projected change | +2.6% |
| Openings a year | 1,100 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 16,000 jobs here differ from the 12,610 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 1,100 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 642nd most of 830 occupations. About 96% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 40 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for postsecondary social work teachers rank?
The median of $77,570 a year ranks 251st of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: doctoral or professional degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.2% | 1,000 | $84,290 |
| Education Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.5% | 5,300 | $75,350 |
| Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | +4.0% | 3,700 | $80,340 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.4% | 200 | $75,870 |
| Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.7% | 300 | $80,340 |
| Communications Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.1% | 2,400 | $78,580 |
| Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary | +2.7% | 25,700 | $42,910 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | -0.4% | 87,500 | $63,970 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.