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Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Also called: Instructor, Mathematics Instructor (Math Instructor), Mathematics Professor, Professor

Teach courses pertaining to mathematical concepts, statistics, and actuarial science and to the application of original and standardized mathematical techniques in solving specific problems and situations. 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$79,940
Openings a year BLS, 2025–353,900
Typical education to start BLSDoctoral or professional degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 Very high
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +1.7%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 15 of its 23 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 1.7% 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 73% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$54k$131knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$65,900$60,560 to $79,630850
Arizona$71,230$71,230 to $80,760680
Arkansas$54,340$45,800 to $61,540290
California$130,680$101,600 to $169,1103,810
Colorado$81,930$63,780 to $104,430890
Connecticut$85,020$63,980 to $123,000820
Delaware$101,510$76,060 to $127,030130
District of Columbia$81,880$76,540 to $124,000260
Florida$60,700$56,640 to $77,1202,660
Georgia$66,440$53,520 to $85,9201,100
Idahonot publishednot published200
Illinois$77,080$59,660 to $103,2902,390
Indiana$78,780$61,090 to $104,6801,100
Iowa$80,300$65,400 to $103,060450
Kansas$64,330$48,400 to $85,430460
Kentucky$65,820$58,970 to $83,420490
Louisiana$79,940$61,430 to $98,330340
Maine$81,130$61,500 to $105,550170
Maryland$83,360$66,240 to $126,290820
Massachusetts$85,490$68,350 to $116,1701,880
Michigan$99,330$67,670 to $125,0101,420
Minnesota$85,570$79,760 to $107,360690
Mississippi$61,760$51,900 to $76,460360
Missouri$74,640$58,810 to $100,800740
Montana$80,610$61,020 to $98,570120
Nebraska$79,310$62,020 to $102,150270
Nevada$82,540$66,370 to $104,170250
New Hampshire$91,670$65,160 to $104,060150
New Jersey$80,660$52,910 to $108,8701,660
New Mexico$66,550$42,680 to $84,470400
New York$87,230$67,080 to $124,8304,080
North Carolina$73,620$59,700 to $87,1201,870
North Dakota$76,770$62,670 to $107,290120
Ohio$81,330$60,290 to $102,3201,600
Oklahoma$64,660$47,450 to $78,300430
Oregon$91,770$66,850 to $120,890820
Pennsylvania$82,170$62,450 to $104,6002,000
Puerto Rico$76,750$60,680 to $91,660150
Rhode Island$95,600$79,180 to $131,890260
South Carolina$77,580$61,750 to $83,680700
South Dakota$64,620$60,660 to $87,210130
Tennessee$76,240$61,330 to $95,830870
Texas$76,990$60,030 to $100,0104,870
Utah$83,270$62,290 to $98,520370
Vermont$84,860$68,000 to $105,750170
Virginia$75,830$53,610 to $103,4701,570
Washington$85,560$72,640 to $103,740820
West Virginia$69,370$58,440 to $80,430210
Wisconsin$80,480$71,280 to $102,080780
Wyoming$76,910$56,300 to $80,990110

Nationally: $79,940. 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 23 tasks

5 · AI alone could halve the time 10 · AI + software built on it could 8 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
AI + software Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others. Not published
AI + software Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers. Not published
AI + software Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records. Not published
AI alone Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts. Not published
AI + software Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, and course materials and methods of instruction. Not published
AI + software Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students. Not published
See all 23 tasks
Not much Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as linear algebra, differential equations, and discrete mathematics. 0.01%
Not much Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions. Not published
Not much Keep abreast of developments and technological advances in the mathematical field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. Not published
AI + software Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues. Not published
AI + software Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks. Not published
AI + software Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues. 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 campus and community events. Not published
Not much Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities. Not published
AI + software Conduct faculty performance evaluations. Not published
AI alone Develop department and course schedules. under 0.01%
AI alone Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in books, professional journals, or electronic media. under 0.01%
Not much Act as advisers to student organizations. Not published
AI + software Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head. Not published
Not much Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work. 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

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. 3 of the 23 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 23 tasks fall under 23 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 23 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most7 of 23 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
Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise 408#4 247#8
Advise others on educational or vocational matters 14#74 34#36
Teach academic or vocational subjects 22#54 143#14
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
Perform administrative or clerical activities 58#30 25#44
Compile records, documentation, or other data 52#33 33#37
Show all 23 activities
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
Monitor individual behavior or performance 5.87#114 1.22#153
Plan events or programs 5.26#123 1.90#133
Schedule operational activities 4.88#128 2.89#116
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures 2.52#181 2.47#121
Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance 1.94#201 0.78#175
Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures 1.85#204 0.36#225
Prepare proposals or grant applications 1.47#214 0.60#190
Assign work to others 1.46#215 0.18#247
Supervise personnel activities 0.56#266 0.05#283
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 answer24%
  • Teaching material18%
  • A document or report14%
  • Advice or a recommendation10%
  • An analysis or summary9%

How they worked with Claude

29% handed the task off71% worked on it together

19% 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 mathematical 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.Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary: +1.7%Mathematical 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.Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary: +1.7%Mathematical 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 13,628 moves out

  1. 1 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 10%
  2. 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 9%
  3. 3 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 7%
  4. 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
  5. 5 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 3%

Where people moved in from

of 19,585 moves in

  1. 1 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 9%
  2. 2 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 8%
  3. 3 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 6%
  4. 4 Teacher Assistants (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
  5. 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%

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

  • 9% bachelor's
  • 1% post-bachelor's certificate
  • 43% master's
  • 37% research doctorate
  • 10% post-doctoral training

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 43 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)
23 programs, such as Mathematics Teacher Education, Biostatistics and Mathematics, General.
See all
  • Mathematics Teacher Education
  • Biostatistics
  • Mathematics, General
  • Algebra and Number Theory
  • Analysis and Functional Analysis
  • Geometry/Geometric Analysis
  • Topology and Foundations
  • Mathematics, Other
  • Applied Mathematics, General
  • Computational and Applied Mathematics
  • Financial Mathematics
  • Mathematical Biology
  • Applied Mathematics, Other
  • Statistics, General
  • Mathematical Statistics and Probability
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Statistics, Other
  • Applied Statistics, General
  • Mathematics and Statistics, Other
  • Mathematics and Computer Science
  • Mathematics and Atmospheric/Oceanic Science
  • Logic
  • Business Statistics

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

<10% 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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