History Teachers, Postsecondary Salary: $81,500 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 19,860 history teachers, postsecondary work nationally, and $81,500 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 39% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 4.3% annual growth.
History Teachers, Postsecondary: what the data shows
Common questions about history teachers, postsecondary careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a history teachers, postsecondary?
History Teachers, Postsecondary is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 25-1125.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 19,860 workers.
What does a history teachers, postsecondary do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Analyzing Data or Information, Training and Teaching Others, Thinking Creatively, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a history teachers, postsecondary make?
BLS national median annual wage: $81,500 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $134,221 — 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 | $62,360 |
| 25th percentile | $85,451 |
| Median (50th) | $124,309 |
| 75th percentile | $167,379 |
| 90th percentile | $229,235 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Learning Strategies, Instructing, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including History and Archeology, English Language, Education and Training, Law and Government. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is history teachers, postsecondary in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 4.3% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 23.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 51.7%.
Current U.S. headcount: 19,860.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do history teachers, postsecondarys work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 39,680 | 26.1% |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 30,880 | 20.3% |
| Cross-industry | 19,860 | 13.1% |
| Educational Services | 19,840 | 13.0% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 13,360 | 8.8% |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 9,910 | 6.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for History 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyers | 747,750 | $151,160 |
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 59,590 | $78,270 |
| Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 21,170 | $77,010 |
| Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors | 36,260 | $59,950 |
| Speech-Language Pathologists | 178,790 | $95,410 |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
| Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | 5,260 | $95,770 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the History Teachers, Postsecondary workforce.
Employment Over Time
19,860 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for History Teachers, Postsecondary grew from 3,040 in 2009 to 5,920 in 2025 (94.7%).
Historical employment for History 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
$81,500 Median pay (BLS national)
History Teachers, Postsecondary earn $81,500 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 History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Salary distribution for History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Employment Growth Projections
4.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
7,290 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 23.2%
8,978 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 51.7%
This occupation is projected to grow at 4.3% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ History Teachers, Postsecondary and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of History Teachers, Postsecondary employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Wage Trends by Industry
-6.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for History 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:
- TX: 2,170 employees, $93,790 avg wage
- NY: 1,780 employees, $113,800 avg wage
- CA: 1,680 employees, $130,670 avg wage
- PA: 890 employees, $92,760 avg wage
- MA: 850 employees, $108,880 avg wage
- VA: 810 employees, $96,900 avg wage
- NC: 790 employees, $79,670 avg wage
- NJ: 640 employees, $111,180 avg wage
- FL: 630 employees, $62,000 avg wage
- IL: 630 employees, $90,260 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,530 employees, $119,710 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 600 employees, $114,120 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 580 employees, $128,910 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 570 employees, $85,260 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 450 employees, $94,160 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 430 employees, $109,900 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 420 employees, $102,480 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 410 employees, $92,370 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 280 employees, $84,820 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 250 employees, $145,530 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Diversity
Demographic information on History Teachers, Postsecondary in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for History Teachers, Postsecondary is about 19,860 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for History 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 History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by History Teachers, Postsecondary in 2023 were Education, Subject Area, Psychology.
Common majors for History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by History Teachers, Postsecondary workers.
Education level distribution for History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Skills
History Teachers, Postsecondary need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Learning Strategies, Instructing.
Required skills for History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for History Teachers, Postsecondary include History and Archeology, English Language, Education and Training, Law and Government, Geography.
Knowledge areas required for History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for History Teachers, Postsecondary include Oral Expression, Written Expression, Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension, Speech Clarity.
Required abilities for History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by History Teachers, Postsecondary.
Daily Activities
History Teachers, Postsecondary spend their time on activities such as Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Analyzing Data or Information, Training and Teaching Others.
Most important work activities for History Teachers, Postsecondary.
About
History Teachers, Postsecondary
History Teachers, Postsecondary earn $81,500 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
25-1125 - History Teachers, Postsecondary
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: History Teachers, Postsecondary reports an average salary of $134,221, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 19,860 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 4.3%, 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.