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

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$75,350median pay per year, May 2025[1]
  1. $39,530lowest 10% earn less
  2. $53,77025th percentile
  3. $75,350median
  4. $97,59075th percentile
  5. $126,860top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Education professors, which BLS counts as Education Teachers, Postsecondary, had a median pay of $75,350 a year in May 2025[1]. Jobs are projected to grow 2.5% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+2.5%[2]
Openings per year
5,300[5]
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree[6]

How much do education professors make?

The median wage for postsecondary education teachers was $75,350 a year[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $79,350[7]. For all occupations, the median annual wage was $50,980[4].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $39,530, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $126,860[3]. The middle half earned between $53,770 and $97,590[3]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS does not publish a starting salary[8].

Level Annual wage
10th percentile[3] $39,530
25th percentile[3] $53,770
Median[1] $75,350
75th percentile[3] $97,590
90th percentile[3] $126,860

BLS publishes only annual wages for this occupation, not hourly wages[9]. The figures cover about 60,830 people in wage and salary jobs[10]. They leave out the self-employed, nonproduction bonuses and the cost of benefits such as health insurance[11].

Pay by state and city

California had the highest median wage at $111,850, well ahead of Louisiana at $83,710 and New York at $82,020[12]. The District of Columbia followed at $80,810[12]. New Hampshire had the lowest published median at $49,250, just below Hawaii at $49,800[12].

Texas had the most jobs at 6,400[13]. New York had 5,430, Illinois 3,930, Pennsylvania 3,390 and California 3,100[13].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA had the highest median at $129,100[14]. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA followed at $123,910[14]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area had the most jobs at 5,120, with a median of $80,640[15].

Show median pay in 48 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
California[12]$111,8503,100
Louisiana$83,710460
New York$82,0205,430
District of Columbia$80,810230
Connecticut$80,620900
Rhode Island$80,030190
Massachusetts$79,9802,050
Michigan$79,9101,140
Minnesota$78,950950
Nebraska$78,950600
Maryland$78,820870
Arizona$78,5201,590
Vermont$78,100170
New Jersey$77,6002,580
North Dakota$77,540230
Utah$77,090330
Virginia$77,0601,630
Maine$77,050190
Washington$75,1701,270
Pennsylvania$74,9103,390
Wisconsin$74,7901,540
Arkansas$74,500250
Nevada$74,240310
Oregon$73,8801,240
Tennessee$72,390950
Montana$70,320130
North Carolina$70,0502,130
Texas$68,2806,400
Colorado$66,8701,060
South Carolina$66,6901,270
Wyoming$66,35080
Indiana$66,1501,830
Missouri$65,9101,140
Idaho$65,720170
New Mexico$64,830290
Alabama$63,730840
Florida$63,6401,290
South Dakota$63,350190
West Virginia$63,270320
Kansas$63,010590
Georgia$62,5101,750
Ohio$62,4002,120
Iowa$62,090690
Mississippi$61,860430
Illinois$61,5603,930
Kentucky$61,450620
Oklahoma$60,880560
Hawaii$49,800460
New Hampshire$49,250630

How to become an education professor

The training details here come from a BLS profile that covers a wider group of postsecondary teachers, not only education teachers[16].

Doctoral programs usually take several years, and a bachelor's or master's degree is typically the starting point[21]. Teachers preparing students for a licensed field may need the same credential, for example a teaching license for an education teacher[22].

In an ONET survey of 23 workers, 90% said a doctoral degree is required and 9% said a master's degree[23]. That is a small survey. ONET places the job in its group needing extensive preparation[24].

What education professors do

Postsecondary education teachers teach courses such as counseling, curriculum, teacher education, plus English as a second language[25]. Some mainly teach, and others combine teaching with research[25]. Typical tasks include:

Job titles workers reported include assistant professor, associate professor, lecturer and adjunct instructor[27].

Where they work

This section draws on the wider postsecondary teacher profile[16]. Among the largest employers listed, state colleges, universities and professional schools accounted for 41%[28]. Postsecondary teachers often work full time, but part-time work is common[29]. Some part-timers teach at several schools, and some hold a full-time job in their field[29].

Courses are generally held during the day, with some evening or weekend classes[30]. Academic calendars usually include breaks between terms, and summers vary by school[31]. Schedules are generally flexible, though full-time teachers need to be on campus for classes and office hours[32]. Balancing teaching with research and publishing can be stressful, especially for beginning teachers seeking advancement[33].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of postsecondary education teachers to grow 2.5% from 2025 to 2035, from about 77,200 to 79,200 jobs[2]. Those counts include the self-employed, who were 0.2% of these workers in 2025[2][34]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same period[35].

About 5,300 openings a year are projected on average[5]. Openings include jobs created when workers retire or change occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 3.5% of workers leave the labor force and 3% move to a different occupation[36].

Is it a good fit?

The median pay of $75,350 is above the $50,980 median for all occupations[1][4]. Entry typically asks for a doctoral or professional degree, and doctoral programs usually take several years[6][21]. Projected growth of 2.5% is below the 3.5% for all occupations, though about 5,300 openings a year are projected[2][35][5]. Pay varies widely, from $39,530 at the 10th percentile to $126,860 at the 90th[3].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[37].

Frequently asked questions

How much does an education professor make?
The median was $75,350 a year in May 2025, and the average was $79,350[1][7]. BLS publishes only annual wages for this job[9].
What degree do you need to be an education professor?
BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry education[6]. Some community colleges may hire people with a master's degree[18].
Is postsecondary teaching in demand?
Employment is projected to grow 2.5% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all occupations, with about 5,300 openings a year[2][35][5].
What is the highest paying state for education professors?
California had the highest median wage at $111,850, followed by Louisiana at $83,710[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Education Teachers, Postsecondary in the US was $75,350 per year. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Education Teachers, Postsecondary is projected to grow 2.5% from 2025 to 2035, from about 77,200 to 79,200 jobs (a change of +1,900). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Education Teachers, Postsecondary: 10th percentile $39,530, 25th percentile $53,770, 75th percentile $97,590, 90th percentile $126,860. 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 5,300 openings for Education 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 Education Teachers, Postsecondary: education needed for entry: Doctoral or professional degree; work experience in a related occupation: Less than 5 years; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Education Teachers, Postsecondary was $79,350 per year. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. 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
  9. BLS publishes only annual wages for Education Teachers, Postsecondary, not hourly wages, because many work fewer than 2,080 hours a year but are paid yearly. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 60,830 people were employed as Education Teachers, Postsecondary in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. 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
  12. Median annual wage for Education 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 Education Teachers, Postsecondary jobs: Texas 6,400; New York 5,430; Illinois 3,930; Pennsylvania 3,390; California 3,100. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Education Teachers, Postsecondary (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $129,100; Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $123,910; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $121,520; Wilmington, NC $106,070; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $105,730; Ann Arbor, MI $105,640; Chattanooga, TN-GA $103,790; College Station-Bryan, TX $96,960. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Education Teachers, Postsecondary jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 5,120 (median $80,640); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 2,650 (median $61,350); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 1,680 (median $79,980); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,450 (median $61,970); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,330 (median $105,730); Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 1,180 (median $78,520). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Postsecondary Teachers" covers Education Teachers, Postsecondary together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  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: Work Experience in a Related Occupation. 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: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. O*NET 25-1081.00 survey of workers (23 respondents), education level they say is required: Doctoral Degree 90%, Master's Degree 9% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  24. O*NET 25-1081.00: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job. O*NET OnLine
  25. O*NET description of Education Teachers, Postsecondary. O*NET OnLine
  26. O*NET task list for Education Teachers, Postsecondary. O*NET OnLine
  27. O*NET 25-1081.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Adjunct Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Education Instructor, Education Professor, Faculty Member, Instructor, Lecturer. O*NET OnLine
  28. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of postsecondary teachers in 2025: Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state 41%. 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: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  34. BLS Employment Projections: 0.2% of Education Teachers, Postsecondary were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  35. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  36. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Education Teachers, Postsecondary: 3.5% of workers leave the labor force each year and 3% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  37. 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.