Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary Salary: $130,318 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 97,890 art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary nationally earn a mean of $130,318. Employment in the series shown rose about 6% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 5.0% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary: what the data shows
Common questions about art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary?
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 25-1121.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 97,890 workers.
What does a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Thinking Creatively, Training and Teaching Others, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Coaching and Developing Others, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary make?
BLS national median annual wage: $80,190 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $130,318 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $61,518 |
| 25th percentile | $81,578 |
| Median (50th) | $108,860 |
| 75th percentile | $169,587 |
| 90th percentile | $217,885 |
What education do you need?
For Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Speaking, Instructing, Learning Strategies, Active Learning, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Fine Arts, Education and Training, English Language, Communications and Media. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 5.0% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 27.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 62.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 97,890.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondarys work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 195,440 | 26.6% |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 156,290 | 21.3% |
| Cross-industry | 97,890 | 13.3% |
| Educational Services | 97,720 | 13.3% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 50,530 | 6.9% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 47,360 | 6.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers | 1,393,310 | $62,340 |
| Special Education Teachers | 28,200 | $62,190 |
| Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,500,000 | — |
| Middle School Teachers | 620,370 | $62,970 |
| Secondary School Teachers | 1,072,540 | $64,580 |
| Teachers and Instructors, All Other | 125,010 | $64,690 |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary workforce.
Employment Over Time
97,890 Workforce in 2023
The Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$130,318 Average Wage
In 2023, Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary earned an average of $130,318.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Salary distribution for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Employment Growth Projections
5.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
49,603 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 27.4%
63,218 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 62.4%
This occupation is projected to grow at 5.0% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Wage Trends by Industry
28.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- NY: 17,600 employees, $144,520 avg wage
- CA: 10,100 employees, $126,870 avg wage
- TX: 7,190 employees, $87,970 avg wage
- MA: 5,780 employees, $102,090 avg wage
- OH: 4,130 employees, $84,070 avg wage
- PA: 4,070 employees, $97,550 avg wage
- IL: 3,910 employees, $85,370 avg wage
- FL: 3,230 employees, $87,690 avg wage
- NJ: 3,060 employees, $122,340 avg wage
- NC: 2,980 employees, $71,290 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 15,040 employees, $154,570 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 5,060 employees, $120,530 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 4,630 employees, $102,500 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 2,540 employees, $85,890 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,270 employees, $103,930 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 2,180 employees, $79,470 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 1,260 employees, $139,530 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,140 employees, $100,870 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 1,130 employees, $96,160 avg wage
- Ithaca, NY: 1,120 employees, $142,900 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Diversity
Demographic information on Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary in 2023 was 97,890 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary in 2023 were Education, Subject Area, Psychology.
Common majors for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary workers.
Education level distribution for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Skills
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Instructing, Learning Strategies, Active Learning, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary include Fine Arts, Education and Training, English Language, Communications and Media, History and Archeology.
Knowledge areas required for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary include Oral Expression, Written Expression, Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension, Speech Clarity.
Required abilities for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
Daily Activities
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary spend their time on activities such as Thinking Creatively, Training and Teaching Others, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Coaching and Developing Others, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.
Most important work activities for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary.
About
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
The average yearly wage for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary was $130,318 in 2023.
SOC Code
25-1121 - Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary reports an average salary of $130,318, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 97,890 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 5.0%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.