Executive Summary

About 12,420 economics teachers, postsecondary work nationally, and $119,980 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 7% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 5.2% annual growth.

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary: what the data shows

Common questions about economics teachers, postsecondary careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a economics teachers, postsecondary?

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 25-1063.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 12,420 workers.

What does a economics teachers, postsecondary do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Training and Teaching Others, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Thinking Creatively, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Working with Computers, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a economics teachers, postsecondary make?

BLS national median annual wage: $119,980 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $155,412 — 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 percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$81,671
25th percentile$107,330
Median (50th)$136,851
75th percentile$207,613
90th percentile$237,884

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Speaking, Writing, Instructing, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Mathematics, Education and Training, Economics and Accounting, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is economics teachers, postsecondary in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 5.2% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: 28.6%.

Ten-year projected employment change: 65.3%.

Current U.S. headcount: 12,420.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do economics teachers, postsecondarys work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Educational Services24,84026.3%
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools22,03023.3%
Cross-industry12,42013.2%
Educational Services12,42013.2%
Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)7,5408.0%
State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)6,2706.6%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

What careers are related?

Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian wage
Personal Financial Advisors270,480$102,140
Financial Analysts340,580$101,350
Economists15,880$115,440
Chefs and Head Cooks182,320$60,990
New Accounts Clerks38,030$46,610
Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary2,630$77,280
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary11,430$84,290

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Economics Teachers, Postsecondary workforce.

Employment Over Time

12,420 U.S. workforce (OEWS)

California employment for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary grew from 1,700 in 2009 to 3,800 in 2025 (123.5%).

Historical employment for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$119,980 Median pay (BLS national)

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary earn $119,980 as the BLS national median annual wage.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Salary distribution for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Employment Growth Projections

5.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

4,885 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: 28.6%

6,282 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: 65.3%

This occupation is projected to grow at 5.2% annually, indicating strong future demand.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Economics Teachers, Postsecondary and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Economics Teachers, Postsecondary employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Wage Trends by Industry

-0.8% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Economics 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: 1,360 employees, $146,720 avg wage
  • CA: 1,050 employees, $151,300 avg wage
  • TX: 850 employees, $132,300 avg wage
  • MA: 760 employees, $157,350 avg wage
  • PA: 620 employees, $125,860 avg wage
  • IL: 520 employees, $128,650 avg wage
  • FL: 510 employees, $64,660 avg wage
  • NC: 480 employees, $132,670 avg wage
  • VA: 460 employees, $146,920 avg wage
  • NJ: 350 employees, $135,630 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,030 employees, $156,140 avg wage
  • Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 550 employees, $168,810 avg wage
  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 380 employees, $147,770 avg wage
  • Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 350 employees, $126,890 avg wage
  • Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 330 employees, $124,940 avg wage
  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 320 employees, $161,820 avg wage
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 240 employees, $126,180 avg wage
  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 220 employees, $134,950 avg wage
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 170 employees, $161,760 avg wage
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 160 employees, $137,710 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Diversity

Demographic information on Economics Teachers, Postsecondary in the US.

Gender and Age

The U.S. workforce for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary is about 12,420 people in our OEWS extract.

Gender and age distribution for Economics 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 Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Economics Teachers, Postsecondary in 2023 were Business Administration, Education, Subject Area.

Common majors for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Economics Teachers, Postsecondary workers.

Education level distribution for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Skills

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Writing, Instructing, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening.

Required skills for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary include Mathematics, Education and Training, Economics and Accounting, English Language, Computers and Electronics.

Knowledge areas required for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary include Oral Expression, Written Expression, Written Comprehension, Speech Clarity, Oral Comprehension.

Required abilities for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Daily Activities

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Training and Teaching Others, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Thinking Creatively, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.

Most important work activities for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

About

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary earn $119,980 as the BLS national median annual wage.

SOC Code

25-1063 - Economics Teachers, Postsecondary

Insights and Analysis

High earnings profile: Economics Teachers, Postsecondary reports an average salary of $155,412, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 12,420 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 5.2%, 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.