Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
Also called: Assistant Professor, Nursing Instructor, Nursing Professor, ProfessorDemonstrate and teach patient care in classroom and clinical units to nursing students. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 18 of its 29 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 17.1% 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 96% 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.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $79,690 | $61,920 to $93,360 | 1,460 |
| Alaska | $85,650 | $84,690 to $105,350 | not published |
| Arizona | $78,980 | $71,230 to $100,590 | 1,930 |
| Arkansas | $63,090 | $51,240 to $77,590 | 830 |
| California | $81,960 | $62,530 to $116,460 | 5,610 |
| Colorado | $82,530 | $65,820 to $104,660 | 1,350 |
| Connecticut | $95,500 | $79,550 to $100,170 | 1,380 |
| Delaware | $98,170 | $81,060 to $117,840 | 240 |
| District of Columbia | $107,770 | $86,840 to $125,510 | 110 |
| Florida | $82,410 | $63,580 to $96,720 | 4,320 |
| Georgia | $77,720 | $64,000 to $88,850 | 1,590 |
| Hawaii | $129,530 | $129,420 to $129,620 | 1,890 |
| Idaho | $90,890 | $70,980 to $124,000 | 430 |
| Illinois | $79,150 | $61,060 to $94,750 | 4,940 |
| Indiana | $76,080 | $61,670 to $96,630 | 1,520 |
| Iowa | $77,360 | $61,360 to $80,080 | 770 |
| Kansas | $62,870 | $52,590 to $79,320 | 470 |
| Kentucky | $71,920 | $59,550 to $83,830 | 1,130 |
| Louisiana | $79,960 | $65,510 to $100,240 | 440 |
| Maine | $79,600 | $63,350 to $101,440 | 420 |
| Maryland | $84,050 | $67,510 to $105,860 | 840 |
| Massachusetts | $85,130 | $75,210 to $108,590 | 2,280 |
| Michigan | $78,870 | $52,460 to $102,780 | 1,740 |
| Minnesota | $81,280 | $73,330 to $101,170 | 1,340 |
| Mississippi | $75,060 | $64,280 to $83,120 | 1,050 |
| Missouri | $76,340 | $61,160 to $97,870 | 1,040 |
| Montana | $77,980 | $62,430 to $96,420 | 240 |
| Nebraska | $82,720 | $67,910 to $98,470 | 300 |
| Nevada | $96,500 | $75,940 to $101,270 | 870 |
| New Hampshire | $78,310 | $66,540 to $91,320 | 320 |
| New Jersey | $76,980 | $63,940 to $105,820 | 2,000 |
| New Mexico | $79,380 | $59,250 to $90,530 | 320 |
| New York | $82,950 | $63,270 to $106,520 | 6,340 |
| North Carolina | $80,400 | $74,000 to $100,210 | 2,560 |
| North Dakota | $80,710 | $67,140 to $106,380 | 150 |
| Ohio | $76,700 | $59,520 to $83,560 | 4,290 |
| Oklahoma | $67,840 | $61,450 to $77,640 | 640 |
| Oregon | $78,050 | $60,430 to $100,620 | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,460 | $60,360 to $99,300 | 4,290 |
| Puerto Rico | $58,210 | $48,780 to $81,010 | 380 |
| Rhode Island | $78,340 | $64,120 to $99,590 | 260 |
| South Carolina | $79,540 | $65,370 to $99,410 | 1,150 |
| South Dakota | $66,630 | $62,360 to $79,530 | 250 |
| Tennessee | $80,050 | $65,480 to $98,160 | 1,150 |
| Texas | $84,930 | $65,560 to $106,140 | 6,830 |
| Utah | $82,320 | $61,650 to $95,990 | 580 |
| Vermont | $66,660 | $63,520 to $83,430 | not published |
| Virginia | $82,550 | $73,410 to $99,420 | 1,670 |
| Washington | $81,630 | $69,340 to $104,300 | 1,300 |
| West Virginia | $62,210 | $58,540 to $77,220 | 400 |
| Wisconsin | $84,700 | $76,960 to $100,330 | 1,760 |
| Wyoming | $72,590 | $55,030 to $78,220 | 150 |
Nationally: $80,250. 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 18 of its 29 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory and clinic work, assignments, and papers. | Not published |
| Not much | Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions. | Not published |
| Not much | Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. | Not published |
| AI + software | Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts. | Not published |
| AI + software | Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues. | Not published |
See all 29 tasks
| AI + software | Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as pharmacology, mental health nursing, and community health care practices. | Not published |
| AI + software | Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues. | Not published |
| AI + software | Assess clinical education needs and patient and client teaching needs using a variety of methods. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise students' laboratory and clinical work. | Not published |
| Not much | Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues. | Not published |
| AI + software | Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and laboratory equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Mentor junior and adjunct faculty members. | Not published |
| Not much | Participate in campus and community events. | Not published |
| AI + software | Demonstrate patient care in clinical units of hospitals. | Not published |
| AI alone | Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments. | Not published |
| Not much | Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain a clinical practice. | Not published |
| AI + software | Coordinate training programs with area universities, clinics, hospitals, health agencies, or vocational schools. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work. | 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 + software | Conduct faculty performance evaluations. | Not published |
| AI alone | Write grant proposals to procure external research funding. | Not published |
| Not much | Act as advisers to student organizations. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide professional consulting services to government or industry. | Not published |
| AI + software | Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head. | 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. 0 of the 29 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 29 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.
- #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
| 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 | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Teach academic or vocational subjects | |||
| Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Write material for artistic or commercial purposes | |||
| Prepare informational or instructional materials | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities |
Show all 23 activities
| Compile records, documentation, or other data | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Evaluate programs, practices, or processes | |||
| Promote products, services, or programs | |||
| Monitor individual behavior or performance | |||
| Plan events or programs | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Develop organizational policies, systems, or processes | |||
| Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures | |||
| Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Prepare proposals or grant applications | |||
| Collaborate in the development of educational programs | |||
| Serve on organizational committees |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer28%
- Teaching material18%
- Advice or a recommendation12%
- A document or report12%
- A plan or strategy8%
How they worked with Claude
14% 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 nursing instructors and 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.
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 12,369 moves out
- 1 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 33%
- 2 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 12%
- 3 Nurse Practitioners High +41.0% 6%
- 4 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 5%
- 5 Health Education Specialists Very high +5.6% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 21,364 moves in
- 1 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 35%
- 2 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 10%
- 3 Health Education Specialists Very high +5.6% 4%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Nursing Assistants Low +2.6% 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
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 5% bachelor's
- 50% master's
- 2% post-master's certificate
- 36% research doctorate
- 7% post-doctoral training
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 33 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”
23 programs, such as Nursing Education, Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse and Adult Health Nurse/Nursing.
See all
- Nursing Education
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
- Adult Health Nurse/Nursing
- Nurse Anesthetist
- Family Practice Nurse/Nursing
- Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing
- Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery
- Nursing Science
- Pediatric Nurse/Nursing
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing
- Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing
- Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Critical Care Nursing
- Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing
- Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing
- Nursing Practice
- Palliative Care Nursing
- Clinical Nurse Leader
- Geriatric Nurse/Nursing
- Women's Health Nurse/Nursing
- Forensic Nursing
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
72.2% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 70.0% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 1.3% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
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
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
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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