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Education Teachers, Postsecondary

Also called: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Education Professor, Professor

Teach courses pertaining to education, such as counseling, curriculum, guidance, instruction, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language. 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$75,350
Openings a year BLS, 2025–355,300
Typical education to start BLSDoctoral or professional degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 Very high
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +2.5%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 16 of its 24 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 2.5% 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 66% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$49k$112knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$63,730$51,850 to $78,350840
Arizona$78,520$64,500 to $104,9101,590
Arkansas$74,500$61,040 to $78,820250
California$111,850$79,040 to $132,7303,100
Colorado$66,870$42,980 to $85,0301,060
Connecticut$80,620$62,720 to $101,030900
Delawarenot publishednot published120
District of Columbia$80,810$64,800 to $104,330230
Florida$63,640$49,500 to $75,1401,290
Georgia$62,510$15,080 to $78,0701,750
Hawaii$49,800$48,790 to $64,530460
Idaho$65,720$60,070 to $97,760170
Illinois$61,560$47,140 to $78,8103,930
Indiana$66,150$52,320 to $83,0601,830
Iowa$62,090$45,060 to $86,750690
Kansas$63,010$49,540 to $84,040590
Kentucky$61,450$45,930 to $80,840620
Louisiana$83,710$59,780 to $106,290460
Maine$77,050$60,620 to $86,770190
Maryland$78,820$50,740 to $97,460870
Massachusetts$79,980$65,160 to $104,7602,050
Michigan$79,910$60,080 to $109,2001,140
Minnesota$78,950$62,790 to $98,040950
Mississippi$61,860$50,050 to $76,840430
Missouri$65,910$50,580 to $83,2301,140
Montana$70,320$48,130 to $78,490130
Nebraska$78,950$61,460 to $96,060600
Nevada$74,240$57,290 to $100,410310
New Hampshire$49,250$46,410 to $67,200630
New Jersey$77,600$49,910 to $101,9902,580
New Mexico$64,830$47,630 to $85,240290
New York$82,020$65,580 to $107,7105,430
North Carolina$70,050$51,980 to $84,4902,130
North Dakota$77,540$59,430 to $97,720230
Ohio$62,400$50,130 to $83,8102,120
Oklahoma$60,880$40,380 to $79,060560
Oregon$73,880$65,790 to $95,8101,240
Pennsylvania$74,910$49,460 to $96,9503,390
Puerto Rico$64,790$48,500 to $83,310280
Rhode Island$80,030$62,810 to $103,170190
South Carolina$66,690$48,000 to $83,7101,270
South Dakota$63,350$60,860 to $74,640190
Tennessee$72,390$57,760 to $83,350950
Texas$68,280$49,650 to $97,6106,400
Utah$77,090$58,280 to $94,570330
Vermont$78,100$64,890 to $97,740170
Virginia$77,060$54,380 to $97,6201,630
Washington$75,170$60,110 to $86,8901,270
West Virginia$63,270$49,630 to $78,440320
Wisconsin$74,790$61,650 to $83,1901,540
Wyoming$66,350$52,150 to $80,16080

Nationally: $75,350. 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 16 of its 24 tasks

5 · AI alone could halve the time 11 · AI + software built on it could 8 · 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 Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others. 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 Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers. Not published
Not much Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions. Not published
AI + software Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues. Not published
See all 24 tasks
AI + software Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction. 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. Not published
AI + software Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records. Not published
Not much Supervise students' fieldwork, 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 Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as children's literature, learning and development, and reading instruction. Not published
Not much Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities. Not published
AI + software Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks. 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
AI + software Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head. Not published
AI alone Write grant proposals to procure external research funding. Not published
Not much Advise and instruct teachers employed in school systems by providing activities, such as in-service seminars. Not published
AI alone Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments. Not published
Not much Act as advisers to student organizations. Not published
AI + software Serve as a liaison between the university and other governmental and educational agencies. Not published
AI alone Provide professional consulting services to government or industry. 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 24 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 24 tasks fall under 21 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 up16 of 24 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most7 of 21 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
Prepare informational or instructional materials 73#23 195#11
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
Perform administrative or clerical activities 58#30 25#44
Compile records, documentation, or other data 52#33 33#37
Show all 21 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
Plan events or programs 5.26#123 1.90#133
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures 2.52#181 2.47#121
Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures 1.85#204 0.36#225
Train others on operational or work procedures 1.60#211 29#38
Prepare proposals or grant applications 1.47#214 0.60#190
Collaborate in the development of educational programs 0.83#248 0.53#198
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 education 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.Education teachers, postsecondary: +2.5%Education 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.Education teachers, postsecondary: +2.5%Education 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 20,584 moves out

  1. 1 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 8%
  2. 2 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
  3. 3 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
  4. 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
  5. 5 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 4%

Where people moved in from

of 26,437 moves in

  1. 1 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 5%
  2. 2 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
  3. 3 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 4%
  4. 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
  5. 5 Education Administrators, Postsecondary High +1.8% 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

  • 1% bachelor's
  • 9% master's
  • 90% research doctorate

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 23 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)
74 programs, such as Education, General, Bilingual and Multilingual Education and Multicultural Education.
See all
  • Education, General
  • Bilingual and Multilingual Education
  • Multicultural Education
  • Indian/Native American Education
  • Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education, Other
  • Curriculum and Instruction
  • Educational Evaluation and Research
  • Educational Statistics and Research Methods
  • Educational Assessment, Testing, and Measurement
  • Learning Sciences
  • Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Other
  • Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic and Other Physical Health Impairments
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals in Elementary Special Education Programs
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education Programs
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs
  • Special Education and Teaching, Other
  • Elementary Education and Teaching
  • Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching
  • Secondary Education and Teaching
  • Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
  • Montessori Teacher Education
  • Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education
  • Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching
  • Early Childhood Education and Teaching
  • Online Educator/Online Teaching
  • Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods
  • College/Postsecondary/University Teaching
  • Agricultural Teacher Education
  • Art Teacher Education
  • Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education
  • Driver and Safety Teacher Education
  • English/Language Arts Teacher Education
  • Foreign Language Teacher Education
  • Health Teacher Education
  • Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education
  • Technology Teacher Education/Industrial Arts Teacher Education
  • Sales and Marketing Operations/Marketing and Distribution Teacher Education
  • Mathematics Teacher Education
  • Music Teacher Education
  • Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
  • Reading Teacher Education
  • Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education
  • Social Science Teacher Education
  • Technical Teacher Education
  • Trade and Industrial Teacher Education
  • Computer Teacher Education
  • Biology Teacher Education
  • Chemistry Teacher Education
  • Drama and Dance Teacher Education
  • French Language Teacher Education
  • German Language Teacher Education
  • History Teacher Education
  • Physics Teacher Education
  • Spanish Language Teacher Education
  • Speech Teacher Education
  • Geography Teacher Education
  • Earth Science Teacher Education
  • Environmental Education
  • Communication Arts and Literature Teacher Education
  • Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other
  • Education, Other
  • Education Policy Analysis
  • Health Professions Education

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

25.4% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
a license12.4%19.1%
a certification<0.5%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

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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