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Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Also called: Computer Information Systems Instructor (CIS Instructor), Computer Science Professor, Instructor, Professor

Teach courses in computer science. May specialize in a field of computer science, such as the design and function of computers or operations and research analysis. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$96,980
Openings a year BLS, 2025–353,200
Typical education to start BLSDoctoral or professional degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 Very high
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +4.9%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 15 of its 26 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 4.9% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 2.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers”
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in private educational services, which employs about 100% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 81% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$56k$128knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$92,640$64,640 to $123,780500
Arizona$84,050$71,240 to $122,760700
Arkansas$56,180$24,890 to $72,590160
California$128,210$93,000 to $171,0302,480
Colorado$80,530$59,960 to $112,350920
Connecticut$106,290$79,690 to $135,280390
Delaware$102,080$83,040 to $133,040120
District of Columbia$101,380$80,080 to $129,500210
Florida$76,950$61,640 to $84,410950
Georgia$98,030$63,810 to $134,9001,160
Idahonot publishednot published120
Illinois$98,750$63,890 to $132,9601,540
Indiana$102,660$77,000 to $134,5301,240
Iowa$89,510$75,490 to $121,260290
Kansas$67,400$57,900 to $112,370260
Kentucky$83,470$59,280 to $109,370310
Louisiana$77,530$71,560 to $126,590200
Maine$99,730$72,020 to $136,240120
Maryland$98,850$66,580 to $135,890830
Massachusetts$128,030$85,380 to $163,6401,490
Michigan$107,690$81,900 to $138,300810
Minnesota$85,710$76,990 to $114,240480
Mississippi$75,520$60,370 to $97,590160
Missouri$90,770$67,080 to $128,700510
Montana$81,560$61,800 to $97,63060
Nebraska$94,360$70,840 to $131,180260
Nevada$106,640$81,320 to $125,030140
New Hampshire$83,630$72,460 to $102,800210
New Jersey$81,500$52,990 to $128,4101,440
New Mexico$79,440$62,670 to $105,430200
New York$96,450$73,980 to $130,3603,170
North Carolina$80,080$61,320 to $105,7401,650
North Dakota$81,400$64,930 to $134,03090
Ohio$91,230$63,100 to $124,6401,180
Oklahoma$76,570$39,940 to $107,800210
Oregon$107,310$84,160 to $135,220530
Pennsylvania$97,500$62,140 to $126,3901,520
Puerto Rico$75,050$47,480 to $95,470230
Rhode Island$100,790$80,720 to $128,690160
South Carolina$78,240$64,940 to $113,640380
South Dakota$75,540$61,380 to $88,910150
Tennessee$81,600$64,420 to $131,950560
Texas$97,480$62,310 to $129,9503,540
Utah$124,460$95,090 to $150,600550
Vermont$94,930$83,150 to $128,030110
Virginia$106,780$75,440 to $159,6401,670
Washington$90,950$71,540 to $122,930800
West Virginia$73,880$61,180 to $94,580270
Wisconsin$97,730$81,530 to $114,540510
Wyoming$63,900$52,150 to $77,69040

Nationally: $96,980. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on 15 of its 26 tasks

5 · AI alone could halve the time 10 · AI + software built on it could 11 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
AI alone Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts. Not published
AI + software Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers. under 0.01%
AI + software Compile, administer, and grade examinations or assign this work to others. under 0.01%
Not much Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as programming, data structures, and software design. Not published
AI + software Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records. Not published
AI + software Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction. Not published
See all 26 tasks
Not much Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. Not published
Not much Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions. Not published
AI + software Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students. Not published
AI + software Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues. 0.07%
AI + software Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues. Not published
AI + software Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and laboratory equipment. Not published
Not much Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues. Not published
Not much Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities. Not published
Not much Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work. Not published
AI + software Develop and maintain Web sites for online courses. under 0.01%
Not much Supervise students' laboratory work. Not published
Not much Participate in campus and community events. Not published
AI alone Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media. Not published
AI alone Write grant proposals to procure external research funding. Not published
AI alone Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments. Not published
Not much Maintain computer equipment used in instruction. Not published
AI + software Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head. Not published
Not much Direct research of other teachers or of graduate students working for advanced academic degrees. Not published
AI alone Provide professional consulting services to government or industry. Not published
Not much Act as advisers to student organizations. Not published

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 4 of the 26 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 26 tasks fall under 20 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up15 of 26 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most7 of 20 activities
  • #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
  • #10 Write material for artistic or commercial purposes
  • #23 Prepare informational or instructional materials
  • and 4 more, in the table below
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Advise others on educational or vocational matters 14#74 34#36
Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise 408#4 247#8
Supervise personnel activities 0.56#266 0.05#283
Teach academic or vocational subjects 22#54 143#14
Maintain electronic, computer, or other technical equipment 8.36#100 1.25#152
Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance 2.31#189 0.62#188
Write material for artistic or commercial purposes 149#10 105#18
Prepare informational or instructional materials 73#23 195#11
Show all 20 activities
Perform administrative or clerical activities 58#30 25#44
Compile records, documentation, or other data 52#33 33#37
Purchase goods or services 47#36 0.39#220
Select materials or equipment for operations or projects 45#38 19#49
Evaluate programs, practices, or processes 15#67 5.67#80
Promote products, services, or programs 14#72 85#20
Design computer or information systems or applications 11#87 2.42#122
Plan events or programs 5.26#123 1.90#133
Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures 2.52#181 2.47#121
Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures 1.85#204 0.36#225
Prepare proposals or grant applications 1.47#214 0.60#190
Serve on organizational committees 0.21#294 0.04#288
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance” holds 2 tasks rated AI + software, yet people asked AI for help with it in 2.31 of every 10,000 conversations, #189 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • An explanation or answer28%
  • Teaching material17%
  • Advice or a recommendation12%
  • A document or report12%
  • A plan or strategy8%

How they worked with Claude

29% handed the task off71% worked on it together

15% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.

How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for computer science teachers, postsecondary specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Computer science teachers, postsecondary: +4.9%Computer Science Teachers, PostsecondaryAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Computer science teachers, postsecondary: +4.9%Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved next

of 13,077 moves out

  1. 1 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 7%
  2. 2 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
  3. 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
  4. 4 Software Developers, Applications (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
  5. 5 Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary Very high -0.3% 5%

Where people moved in from

of 18,261 moves in

  1. 1 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
  2. 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
  3. 3 Computer User Support Specialists Very high -3.5% 5%
  4. 4 Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary Very high -0.3% 5%
  5. 5 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 4%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

O*NET survey of workers in this occupation

  • 11% bachelor's
  • 47% master's
  • 42% research doctorate

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 28 people answered.

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 1% less than high school
  • 3% high school
  • 4% some college
  • 2% associate's
  • 16% bachelor's
  • 28% master's
  • 5% professional degree
  • 42% doctorate

Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers” · 15,280 people surveyed.

Why the two can differ

O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide

Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers”

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
21 programs, such as Computer and Information Sciences, General, Artificial Intelligence and Computer and Information Sciences, Other.
See all
  • Computer and Information Sciences, General
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer and Information Sciences, Other
  • Computer Programming/Programmer, General
  • Information Science/Studies
  • Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst
  • Computer Science
  • Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation
  • Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
  • Cloud Computing
  • Computer Teacher Education
  • Mathematics and Computer Science
  • Accounting and Computer Science
  • Computational Science
  • Human Computer Interaction
  • Economics and Computer Science
  • Linguistics and Computer Science
  • Management Information Systems, General
  • Information Resources Management
  • Knowledge Management
  • Management Information Systems and Services, Other

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

<5% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
a licensenot published
a certificationnot published
an educational certificatenot published

Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)

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