Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary
Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1031) earn a median $96,870 a year in the United States, with 7,700 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New York.
What architecture teachers, postsecondary do
Architecture teachers instruct college students in architecture and architectural design, including environmental design, interior architecture, and landscape architecture. Much of their work happens in design studios, where they evaluate and grade student work, alongside lectures on topics such as design methods and structures and materials. They also revise curricula and course materials. These faculty train future designers rather than practice architecture as their main job, which sets them apart from architects, who are classified in a separate group. Studio courses, in which students develop design projects that faculty evaluate and grade, set this field apart from lecture-based subjects. Alternate titles include architectural drafting instructor and architectural design professor. Faculty also lead classroom discussions, prepare syllabi and handouts, set and grade examinations, and keep student records.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a doctoral degree.
Also called: Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Professor, Architectural Design Professor, Architectural Drafting Instructor, Architecture Faculty Member.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 7,700 |
| Annual | $58,430 | $74,970 | $96,870 | $128,510 | $159,030 | $101,250 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where architecture teachers, postsecondary earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,460 | 0.15 | 3.04 |
| Annual | $55,570 | $74,320 | $126,430 | $133,930 | $169,650 | $113,620 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $81,170 | $98,510 | $122,880 | $127,310 | $160,940 | $119,700 | ||||
| Virginia | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 230 | 0.06 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $61,430 | $82,650 | $105,940 | $131,360 | $135,280 | $104,460 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 230 | 0.04 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $66,250 | $83,370 | $104,580 | $126,720 | $132,460 | $102,530 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 530 | 0.03 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $55,400 | $76,610 | $103,520 | $133,960 | $178,950 | $113,170 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,460 | 0.15 | 3.04 |
| Annual | $55,570 | $74,320 | $126,430 | $133,930 | $169,650 | $113,620 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 770 | 0.06 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $61,550 | $79,110 | $101,040 | $128,670 | $164,780 | $105,800 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 530 | 0.03 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $55,400 | $76,610 | $103,520 | $133,960 | $178,950 | $113,170 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 440 | 0.07 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $42,860 | $77,750 | $101,740 | $115,230 | $141,690 | $97,360 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 430 | 0.12 | 2.40 |
| Annual | $63,330 | $82,840 | $102,920 | $162,490 | $209,940 | $121,350 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| College Station-Bryan, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 160 | 1.17 | 23.58 |
| Annual | $99,970 | $99,970 | $128,670 | $130,860 | $209,940 | $134,450 | ||||
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $99,540 | $126,700 | $126,700 | $169,500 | $169,500 | $137,310 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,460 | 0.15 | 3.10 |
| Annual | $55,570 | $74,970 | $123,760 | $133,930 | $169,650 | $111,750 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 320 | 0.12 | 2.37 |
| Annual | $63,330 | $98,680 | $121,660 | $171,220 | $209,940 | $128,020 | ||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 50 | 0.04 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $48,720 | $80,130 | $107,450 | $129,630 | $167,460 | $109,140 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,460 | 0.15 | 3.10 |
| Annual | $55,570 | $74,970 | $123,760 | $133,930 | $169,650 | $111,750 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 320 | 0.12 | 2.37 |
| Annual | $63,330 | $98,680 | $121,660 | $171,220 | $209,940 | $128,020 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 260 | 0.04 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $47,790 | $61,270 | $79,100 | $125,930 | $159,380 | $96,480 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 250 | 0.09 | 1.73 |
| Annual | $64,020 | $83,030 | $105,770 | $136,530 | $152,060 | $105,350 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 170 | 0.14 | 2.79 |
| Annual | $71,800 | $72,330 | $79,650 | $89,430 | $100,570 | $82,520 | ||||
Top industries employing architecture teachers, postsecondary
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools employ 90.1% of architecture teachers, postsecondary nationally (6,940 jobs) at a median $98,860 a year, followed by Junior Colleges (9.9%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 6,940 | 90.1% | $98,860 | * |
| Junior Colleges NAICS 611200 | 760 | 9.9% | $78,770 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (7,700). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $95,160 for architecture teachers, postsecondary in May 2021 and $96,870 in May 2025, with employment of 5,950 and 7,700.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $95,160 | * | 5,950 |
| May 2022 | $93,220 | * | 6,420 |
| May 2023 | $105,770 | * | 8,350 |
| May 2024 | $101,480 | * | 9,120 |
| May 2025 | $96,870 | * | 7,700 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
34 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York profile | * | $126,430 | $55,570 | $169,650 | 1,460 | 0.15 | 3.04 |
| 2 | Connecticut profile | * | $122,880 | $81,170 | $160,940 | ** | ** | ** |
| 3 | Virginia profile | * | $105,940 | $61,430 | $135,280 | 230 | 0.06 | 1.13 |
| 4 | Illinois profile | * | $104,580 | $66,250 | $132,460 | 230 | 0.04 | 0.75 |
| 5 | California profile | * | $103,520 | $55,400 | $178,950 | 530 | 0.03 | 0.58 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | * | $102,920 | $63,330 | $209,940 | 430 | 0.12 | 2.40 |
| 7 | Maryland profile | * | $102,240 | $61,630 | $162,700 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.37 |
| 8 | Utah profile | * | $102,180 | $60,580 | $126,390 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.64 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $101,740 | $42,860 | $141,690 | 440 | 0.07 | 1.46 |
| 10 | Texas profile | * | $101,040 | $61,550 | $164,780 | 770 | 0.06 | 1.11 |
| 11 | Michigan profile | * | $100,700 | $64,470 | $137,380 | 190 | 0.04 | 0.86 |
| 12 | Minnesota profile | * | $95,560 | $81,760 | $161,930 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.79 |
| 13 | Rhode Island profile | * | $92,010 | $63,820 | $156,610 | 100 | 0.20 | 4.10 |
| 14 | North Carolina profile | * | $86,850 | $48,630 | $137,380 | 150 | 0.03 | 0.60 |
| 15 | Kansas profile | * | $85,970 | $67,860 | $137,500 | 140 | 0.10 | 2.00 |
| 16 | District of Columbia profile | * | $84,950 | $61,590 | $130,590 | ** | ** | ** |
| 17 | Indiana profile | * | $84,040 | $64,490 | $133,430 | 160 | 0.05 | 1.02 |
| 18 | New Jersey profile | * | $83,620 | $50,350 | $133,590 | 330 | 0.08 | 1.54 |
| 19 | Louisiana profile | * | $83,000 | $60,950 | $133,830 | 140 | 0.07 | 1.42 |
| 20 | Washington profile | * | $81,950 | $51,480 | $124,450 | 100 | 0.03 | 0.59 |
| 21 | Oklahoma profile | * | $81,800 | $65,900 | $106,450 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.58 |
| 22 | Alabama profile | * | $80,770 | $62,890 | $125,400 | 120 | 0.06 | 1.11 |
| 23 | Oregon profile | * | $80,640 | $64,430 | $99,690 | 250 | 0.13 | 2.58 |
| 24 | Colorado profile | * | $80,530 | $58,360 | $128,320 | 110 | 0.04 | 0.78 |
| 25 | Wisconsin profile | * | $79,980 | $74,590 | $98,860 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.37 |
| 26 | Ohio profile | * | $79,520 | $22,260 | $122,080 | 290 | 0.05 | 1.04 |
| 27 | Tennessee profile | * | $79,170 | $60,020 | $160,010 | 80 | 0.03 | 0.51 |
| 28 | Iowa profile | * | $79,100 | $63,570 | $126,380 | 80 | 0.05 | 1.03 |
| 29 | Florida profile | * | $78,960 | $50,040 | $128,140 | ** | ** | ** |
| 30 | Mississippi profile | * | $77,930 | $40,340 | $89,450 | 60 | 0.05 | 1.03 |
| 31 | Montana profile | * | $77,630 | $51,220 | $123,090 | 60 | 0.11 | 2.31 |
| 32 | Nebraska profile | * | $77,540 | $60,510 | $130,780 | 60 | 0.06 | 1.13 |
| 33 | South Carolina profile | * | $76,900 | $41,270 | $120,060 | 90 | 0.04 | 0.82 |
| 34 | New Mexico profile | * | $69,820 | $60,010 | $111,080 | 40 | 0.05 | 1.04 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (25-1030), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Educational Instruction and Library Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 25-1031 Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked. A withheld or top-coded median in that table shows the marker explained above.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them. A withheld or top-coded cell in that table shows the marker explained above.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 25-1031, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-1031.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.