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Art professor: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$78,620median pay per year, May 2025[1]
  1. $47,570lowest 10% earn less
  2. $61,62025th percentile
  3. $78,620median
  4. $103,85075th percentile
  5. $163,350top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Postsecondary art, drama and music teachers had a median pay of $78,620 a year in May 2025[1]. Jobs are projected to grow 2.2% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+2.2%[2]
Openings per year
8,000[5]
Typical entry education
Master's degree[6]

How much do art professors make?

The median pay for art, drama and music teachers at the postsecondary level was $78,620 a year in May 2025[1]. Half earned more and half earned less. The mean (average) was $94,700 a year[7]. For all occupations, the median annual wage was $50,980[4]. BLS publishes only annual wages for this job, not hourly wages[8].

Pay spreads widely. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $47,570 a year, and the 25th percentile was $61,620[3]. The 75th percentile was $103,850 and the 90th percentile was $163,350[3]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[9].

Measure Annual wage Source
10th percentile[3] $47,570
25th percentile[3] $61,620
Median[1] $78,620
75th percentile[3] $103,850
90th percentile[3] $163,350

These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed, and they do not include benefits or nonproduction bonuses[10]. About 93,560 people held these jobs in May 2025[11].

Pay by state and city

Among 48 states and DC with published data, Delaware had the highest median at $103,320[12]. California followed at $99,410 and New York at $98,850[12]. The lowest median in the list was Nevada at $52,870[12].

New York had the most jobs at 14,920, then California with 9,820, Texas with 6,730, Massachusetts with 4,960 and Illinois with 4,170[13].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA had the highest median at $163,750[14]. Fresno, CA ($135,970) and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($127,800) came next[14]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area had the most jobs at 13,080, followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA at 5,200[15].

Show median pay in 48 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
Delaware[12]$103,320150
California$99,4109,820
New York$98,85014,920
Vermont$97,980180
Rhode Island$97,580440
District of Columbia$96,900350
Massachusetts$85,8204,960
Maryland$85,5901,280
Michigan$82,9902,410
New Jersey$80,1003,300
Georgia$79,8701,910
Maine$79,860340
New Hampshire$79,090440
Louisiana$78,710720
Connecticut$78,6001,430
Montana$78,420190
Ohio$78,0503,940
Washington$77,9501,400
Minnesota$77,7601,310
Iowa$77,740910
Texas$77,5606,730
Wisconsin$77,5601,840
Pennsylvania$77,2804,170
Oregon$76,7701,440
New Mexico$76,240380
Indiana$76,0501,920
Missouri$75,9601,450
Nebraska$75,200490
Virginia$74,8702,840
North Carolina$73,8002,880
West Virginia$73,280340
Idaho$72,300250
Arizona$72,0601,040
Tennessee$72,0301,370
Colorado$70,0601,950
North Dakota$67,190130
Utah$66,220790
Kentucky$64,440900
Florida$63,8202,490
Alabama$63,540900
South Dakota$63,380200
Illinois$62,9604,170
South Carolina$62,4201,290
Oklahoma$62,200760
Kansas$61,260640
Arkansas$60,650360
Mississippi$60,580540
Wyoming$59,190180
Nevada$52,870260

How to become an art professor

Requirements depend on the subject and the type of school. The typical entry education for this category is a master's degree[6]. In an O*NET survey of 49 workers, 51% said a master's degree was required, 32% said a doctorate and 14% said a bachelor's degree[16].

With a doctorate, teachers often seek tenure, which can take up to 7 years of moving through assistant professor, associate professor and professor ranks[22].

The training details above come from a BLS profile that covers a wider group of postsecondary teachers, not only art, drama and music[23].

What art professors do

These teachers instruct courses in drama, music and the arts, including fine and applied art such as painting and sculpture, design and crafts. Some mainly teach, and others combine teaching with research[24]. Common tasks include:

Job titles reported by workers include art professor, music instructor and assistant professor[26].

Where they work

In the BLS profile for the wider group, colleges, universities and professional schools run by states were the largest employer, at 41% of jobs in 2025[27]. Most postsecondary teachers work full time, and part-time work is common[28]. Some teach at several schools, and some hold a full-time job in their field alongside a teaching post[28].

Classes are generally held during the day, with some in the evenings or on weekends[29]. Full-time teachers need to be on campus for classes and office hours but otherwise set their own schedules[30]. Breaks between terms are typical, and some teachers use summers for research or professional development[31]. Balancing teaching with research and publishing can be stressful, especially for beginning teachers seeking advancement[32].

Job outlook

Employment is projected to grow 2.2% from 2025 to 2035, from about 116,900 to 119,500 jobs[2]. That is slower than the 3.5% projected for all occupations[33]. These projection counts include self-employed workers, and they differ from the wage and salary count above[2].

About 8,000 openings a year are projected on average[5]. Openings include jobs left by workers who retire or switch occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 3.5% of workers leave the labor force and 3% move to a different occupation[34].

Is it a good fit?

The median pay is above the all-occupation median, but the range is wide, from $47,570 at the 10th percentile to $163,350 at the 90th[1][3][4]. The typical entry education is a master's degree, and some schools look for a doctorate[6][18]. Growth is slower than average, with about 8,000 openings a year[2][33][5]. Part-time work is common[28]. The facts here do not cover tuition, school quality or how hard it is to land a position.

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[35].

Frequently asked questions

How much does an art professor make a year?
The median was $78,620 a year in May 2025[1]. BLS publishes annual wages only for this job[8].
What degree do you need to be an art professor?
The typical entry education is a master's degree[6]. Four-year colleges and universities typically look for a doctorate in the field[18].
Is an art professor job in demand?
Jobs are projected to grow 2.2% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 8,000 openings a year[2][33][5].
What is the highest paying state for art professors?
Delaware had the highest median at $103,320, ahead of California at $99,410[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary in the US was $78,620 per year. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary is projected to grow 2.2% from 2025 to 2035, from about 116,900 to 119,500 jobs (a change of +2,600). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary: 10th percentile $47,570, 25th percentile $61,620, 75th percentile $103,850, 90th percentile $163,350. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 8,000 openings for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary: education needed for entry: Master's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary was $94,700 per year. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS publishes only annual wages for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary, not hourly wages, because many work fewer than 2,080 hours a year but are paid yearly. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 93,560 people were employed as Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Median annual wage for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary jobs: New York 14,920; California 9,820; Texas 6,730; Massachusetts 4,960; Illinois 4,170. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary (areas with at least 100 jobs): Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $163,750; Fresno, CA $135,970; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $127,800; Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $124,680; Charlottesville, VA $104,570; Ithaca, NY $102,910; San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $101,010; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $100,950. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 13,080 (median $100,950); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 5,200 (median $91,490); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 3,820 (median $96,170); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 2,950 (median $62,960); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,770 (median $76,810); Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,750 (median $78,380). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. O*NET 25-1121.00 survey of workers (49 respondents), education level they say is required: Master's Degree 51%, Doctoral Degree 32%, Bachelor's Degree 14% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Work Experience in a Related Occupation. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Work Experience in a Related Occupation. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Advancement. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Postsecondary Teachers" covers Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. O*NET description of Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary. O*NET OnLine
  25. O*NET task list for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary. O*NET OnLine
  26. O*NET 25-1121.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Art History Professor, Art Instructor, Art Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Instructor, Music Instructor, Music Professor. O*NET OnLine
  27. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of postsecondary teachers in 2025: Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state 41%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  29. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  32. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  34. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary: 3.5% of workers leave the labor force each year and 3% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  35. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.