All careers › Business Teachers, Postsecondary
Business professor: pay, job outlook and how to become one
- $47,180lowest 10% earn less
- $64,15025th percentile
- $99,080median
- $141,71075th percentile
- $209,470top 10% earn more
Business professors, listed by BLS as Business Teachers, Postsecondary, had a median pay of $99,080 a year in May 2025[1]. Employment is projected to grow 5.9% from 2025 to 2035[2].
- Job growth, 2025–35
- +5.9%[2]
- Openings per year
- 7,600[5]
- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree[6]
How much do business professors make?
The median pay for Business Teachers, Postsecondary was $99,080 a year[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. The average was $114,720[7]. For comparison, the median for all occupations was $50,980[4].
The range is wide:
The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $47,180[3]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[8]. BLS publishes only annual wages for this job, not hourly wages, because many of these teachers work fewer than 2,080 hours a year but are paid yearly[9]. The figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed, nonproduction bonuses and the cost of benefits[10]. About 82,150 people worked in this job[11].
Pay by state and city
Alaska had the highest median pay at $168,930, followed by Delaware at $130,370, Louisiana at $129,040 and California at $128,470[12]. Arkansas had the lowest published median at $64,620[12].
Texas had the most jobs with 7,710, then New York with 7,480 and California with 5,290[13].
Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Wilmington, NC had the highest median at $187,380, followed by Lawrence, KS at $169,130 and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $160,090[14]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area had the most jobs at 6,840, with a median of $104,770[15].
Show median pay in 50 states and DC
| State | Median per year | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska[12] | $168,930 | 130 |
| Delaware | $130,370 | 280 |
| Louisiana | $129,040 | 640 |
| California | $128,470 | 5,290 |
| District of Columbia | $128,370 | 630 |
| Maryland | $126,560 | 2,280 |
| Utah | $115,870 | 460 |
| Michigan | $111,190 | 2,240 |
| North Dakota | $110,050 | 250 |
| New York | $104,490 | 7,480 |
| West Virginia | $104,480 | 420 |
| Virginia | $103,860 | 2,450 |
| Rhode Island | $103,820 | 360 |
| Connecticut | $103,750 | 1,310 |
| Massachusetts | $103,110 | 4,190 |
| Pennsylvania | $101,760 | 4,630 |
| Texas | $101,210 | 7,710 |
| Vermont | $101,170 | 110 |
| Washington | $100,390 | 1,190 |
| Missouri | $100,310 | 1,720 |
| Oregon | $100,180 | 940 |
| Nevada | $98,920 | 400 |
| Wisconsin | $96,680 | 1,940 |
| Minnesota | $95,820 | 980 |
| Illinois | $94,770 | 3,580 |
| Nebraska | $88,690 | 530 |
| Indiana | $86,640 | 2,030 |
| Tennessee | $85,950 | 1,260 |
| New Jersey | $85,250 | 3,190 |
| Idaho | $84,190 | 240 |
| New Mexico | $83,980 | 410 |
| Kansas | $83,310 | 660 |
| Maine | $83,250 | 300 |
| Iowa | $83,200 | 890 |
| New Hampshire | $83,070 | 580 |
| Georgia | $82,820 | 1,940 |
| Alabama | $82,170 | 1,260 |
| Oklahoma | $82,060 | 770 |
| Arizona | $81,600 | 1,240 |
| Montana | $81,490 | 170 |
| Kentucky | $80,140 | 760 |
| Ohio | $79,770 | 3,100 |
| North Carolina | $79,600 | 2,960 |
| Florida | $78,870 | 2,900 |
| South Carolina | $78,830 | 1,500 |
| Colorado | $78,210 | 2,080 |
| Hawaii | $76,860 | 390 |
| Mississippi | $75,680 | 530 |
| South Dakota | $72,650 | 260 |
| Wyoming | $69,550 | 150 |
| Arkansas | $64,620 | 450 |
How to become a business professor
The training details here come from a BLS profile on postsecondary teachers, which covers a wider group than business teachers[16].
- First: earn a doctoral or professional degree. BLS lists this as the typical education for entry[6].
- Next: know the exceptions. Four-year colleges and universities typically want a doctorate, but some specialties or part-time posts may hire people with a master's degree or doctoral candidates[17]. Community colleges may hire people with a master's degree, though some prefer a Ph.D.[18].
- Then: build teaching experience. Schools may prefer applicants with teaching or other work experience, and some teachers gain it as graduate teaching assistants[19][20].
Doctoral programs usually take several years, and students typically need a bachelor's or master's degree to enroll[21]. In an O*NET survey of 36 workers, 73% said a doctoral degree is required, 20% said a master's degree and 5% said a bachelor's degree[22]. Because the survey is small, treat these shares as a rough guide.
Teachers with a doctorate often seek tenure, which BLS says may take up to 7 years of moving through assistant, associate and full professor ranks[23].
What business professors do
O*NET says these teachers cover subjects such as accounting, finance, human resources, marketing and operations research. Some mainly teach and some combine teaching with research[24]. Common tasks include:
- Preparing and giving lectures to undergraduate or graduate students[25].
- Grading class work, assignments, papers and exams[25].
- Leading classroom discussions[25].
- Preparing syllabi, homework and handouts[25].
- Keeping up with the field through reading, colleagues and conferences[25].
- Planning and revising courses and teaching methods[25].
- Doing research and publishing the findings[25].
- Holding regular office hours to advise students[25].
Workers report titles such as Accounting Professor, Associate Professor and Management Professor[26].
Where they work
For postsecondary teachers as a group, state colleges, universities and professional schools employed 41% in 2025, the largest share listed[27]. Most postsecondary teachers work full time, though part-time work is common. Part-time teachers may teach at several schools, and some also hold a full-time job in their field[28]. Classes are generally held during the day, with some evening or weekend courses[29]. Full-time teachers need to be on campus to teach and hold office hours but can otherwise set their own schedules[30]. Academic calendars include breaks, and summers vary by school[31]. Only 0.2% of business teachers were self-employed in 2025[32].
Job outlook
BLS projects employment of business teachers to grow 5.9% from 2025 to 2035, from about 103,600 to 109,700 jobs[2]. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%[33]. These counts include self-employed workers and differ from the OEWS job count[2].
About 7,600 openings a year are projected[5]. Openings include jobs left by people 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 well above the all-occupations median, and growth is projected to outpace the average[1][4][2][33]. The pay range is wide, and the 10th percentile was $47,180[3]. The typical route needs a doctoral or professional degree, and BLS says doctoral programs usually take several years[6][21]. Anyone weighing this path should look at that time commitment as well as the pay.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a business professor make a year?
- The median was $99,080 a year in May 2025, and the average was $114,720[1][7].
- What degree do you need to be a business professor?
- The typical entry education is a doctoral or professional degree[6]. Some community colleges may hire people with a master's degree[18].
- Is business professor a growing job?
- Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all occupations[2][33].
- What is the highest paying state for business professors?
- Alaska had the highest median at $168,930[12].
Facts and sources
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Business Teachers, Postsecondary in the US was $99,080 per year. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: employment of Business Teachers, Postsecondary is projected to grow 5.9% from 2025 to 2035, from about 103,600 to 109,700 jobs (a change of +6,100). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Business Teachers, Postsecondary: 10th percentile $47,180, 25th percentile $64,150, 75th percentile $141,710, 90th percentile $209,470. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: about 7,600 openings for Business 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
- BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Business Teachers, Postsecondary: education needed for entry: Doctoral or professional degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Business Teachers, Postsecondary was $114,720 per year. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- 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
- BLS publishes only annual wages for Business Teachers, Postsecondary, not hourly wages, because many work fewer than 2,080 hours a year but are paid yearly. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- 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
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 82,150 people were employed as Business Teachers, Postsecondary in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage for Business Teachers, Postsecondary in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Business Teachers, Postsecondary jobs: Texas 7,710; New York 7,480; California 5,290; Pennsylvania 4,630; Massachusetts 4,190. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Business Teachers, Postsecondary (areas with at least 100 jobs): Wilmington, NC $187,380; Lawrence, KS $169,130; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $160,090; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $148,500; Bloomington, IL $148,290; Reno, NV $142,920; Greenville, NC $140,490; Lansing-East Lansing, MI $139,380. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Business Teachers, Postsecondary jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 6,840 (median $104,770); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 3,250 (median $103,110); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 2,450 (median $93,670); Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2,260 (median $107,170); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,050 (median $128,470); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,870 (median $100,610). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Postsecondary Teachers" covers Business Teachers, Postsecondary together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Work Experience in a Related Occupation. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Work Experience in a Related Occupation. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- O*NET 25-1011.00 survey of workers (36 respondents), education level they say is required: Doctoral Degree 73%, Master's Degree 20%, Bachelor's Degree 5% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Advancement. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- O*NET description of Business Teachers, Postsecondary. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET task list for Business Teachers, Postsecondary. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET 25-1011.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Accounting Instructor, Accounting Professor, Associate Professor, Business Administration Professor, Business Instructor, Business Professor, Instructor, Management Professor. O*NET OnLine
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of postsecondary teachers in 2025: Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state 41%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- BLS Employment Projections: 0.2% of Business Teachers, Postsecondary were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Business Teachers, Postsecondary: 3.5% of workers leave the labor force each year and 3% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
- Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine
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.