Communications Teachers, Postsecondary
Communications Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1122) earn a median $78,580 a year in the United States, with 29,420 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What communications teachers, postsecondary do
Communications teachers teach college courses in communications, including organizational communications, public relations, radio and television broadcasting, and journalism. Their lectures take up public speaking, media criticism, and oral traditions; they also moderate discussions, grade assignments and papers, give exams, and prepare syllabi and handouts. They keep regular office hours to advise and assist students and maintain attendance and grade records. English teachers, who focus on literature and composition, are counted in a separate category. Faculty also plan and revise curricula and course content. Titles range from adjunct communications instructor and adjunct lecturer to assistant and associate professor. The code covers faculty who mainly teach as well as those who also carry out research, across the communications specialties named in the definition.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a master's degree.
Also called: Adjunct Communications Faculty Member, Adjunct Communications Instructor, Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Lecturer, Adjunct Professor.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 29,420 |
| Annual | $47,590 | $61,250 | $78,580 | $102,450 | $143,720 | $90,010 | ||
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 communications 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 | ||||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,140 | 0.17 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $78,660 | $102,290 | $135,000 | $186,490 | $218,880 | $148,200 | ||||
| Delaware | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 60 | 0.13 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $52,090 | $67,710 | $100,260 | $130,330 | $162,360 | $103,860 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 490 | 0.25 | 1.32 |
| Annual | $48,930 | $72,280 | $98,900 | $123,280 | $233,790 | $115,430 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 280 | 0.16 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $58,020 | $75,930 | $97,210 | $119,310 | $134,890 | $96,990 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 110 | 0.21 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $66,540 | $78,750 | $95,910 | $104,890 | $129,640 | $96,070 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,140 | 0.17 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $78,660 | $102,290 | $135,000 | $186,490 | $218,880 | $148,200 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,880 | 0.21 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $46,600 | $60,680 | $77,050 | $100,220 | $127,050 | $81,070 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,490 | 0.26 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $49,920 | $62,540 | $84,690 | $124,870 | $208,260 | $105,490 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,580 | 0.26 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $46,730 | $53,860 | $78,150 | $100,600 | $118,210 | $80,140 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,530 | 0.25 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $48,950 | $63,630 | $77,790 | $94,760 | $116,140 | $81,430 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 300 | 0.18 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $100,860 | $134,750 | $180,650 | $191,110 | $250,700 | $167,620 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 290 | 0.12 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $94,940 | $127,950 | $166,920 | $223,300 | $286,370 | $176,630 | ||||
| Fresno, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 80 | 0.16 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $88,970 | $118,890 | $136,730 | $161,060 | $161,500 | $138,080 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 310 | 0.20 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $76,600 | $107,570 | $134,110 | $175,330 | $213,160 | $147,820 | ||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 120 | 0.11 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $73,230 | $105,580 | $133,300 | $160,960 | $209,910 | $143,840 | ||||
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 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,430 | 0.26 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $49,710 | $59,420 | $97,760 | $128,090 | $208,260 | $107,520 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,360 | 0.22 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $75,280 | $101,780 | $130,160 | $201,060 | $211,670 | $143,170 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,020 | 0.23 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $46,960 | $48,830 | $76,730 | $99,900 | $105,800 | $77,350 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 920 | 0.34 | 1.80 |
| Annual | $60,730 | $64,840 | $80,890 | $100,890 | $169,480 | $97,790 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 920 | 0.23 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $47,580 | $61,540 | $77,050 | $101,320 | $124,680 | $83,880 | ||||
Top industries employing communications teachers, postsecondary
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools employ 72.7% of communications teachers, postsecondary nationally (21,390 jobs) at a median $78,400 a year, followed by Junior Colleges (27.0%) and Other Schools and Instruction (0.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 21,390 | 72.7% | $78,400 | * |
| Junior Colleges NAICS 611200 | 7,950 | 27.0% | $79,290 | * |
| Other Schools and Instruction NAICS 611600 | 30 | 0.1% | $82,590 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (29,420). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $77,560 for communications teachers, postsecondary in May 2021 and $78,580 in May 2025, with employment of 27,330 and 29,420.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $77,560 | * | 27,330 |
| May 2022 | $76,250 | * | 27,350 |
| May 2023 | $79,910 | * | 28,520 |
| May 2024 | $77,800 | * | 29,260 |
| May 2025 | $78,580 | * | 29,420 |
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
49 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 | California profile | * | $135,000 | $78,660 | $218,880 | 3,140 | 0.17 | 0.91 |
| 2 | Delaware profile | * | $100,260 | $52,090 | $162,360 | 60 | 0.13 | 0.67 |
| 3 | Oregon profile | * | $98,900 | $48,930 | $233,790 | 490 | 0.25 | 1.32 |
| 4 | Connecticut profile | * | $97,210 | $58,020 | $134,890 | 280 | 0.16 | 0.86 |
| 5 | Rhode Island profile | * | $95,910 | $66,540 | $129,640 | 110 | 0.21 | 1.12 |
| 6 | New Hampshire profile | * | $95,760 | $67,570 | $109,250 | 40 | 0.06 | 0.34 |
| 7 | Michigan profile | * | $87,670 | $46,990 | $137,120 | 630 | 0.14 | 0.75 |
| 8 | New York profile | * | $84,690 | $49,920 | $208,260 | 2,490 | 0.26 | 1.36 |
| 9 | District of Columbia profile | * | $83,910 | $53,150 | $137,160 | 180 | 0.25 | 1.33 |
| 10 | Maryland profile | * | $83,510 | $46,530 | $164,180 | 440 | 0.16 | 0.84 |
| 11 | Minnesota profile | * | $83,380 | $59,480 | $108,430 | 450 | 0.15 | 0.81 |
| 12 | Massachusetts profile | * | $82,610 | $60,730 | $161,740 | 1,110 | 0.31 | 1.62 |
| 13 | Nevada profile | * | $82,020 | $61,530 | $137,660 | 70 | 0.05 | 0.24 |
| 14 | South Carolina profile | * | $79,810 | $48,020 | $105,660 | 320 | 0.14 | 0.73 |
| 15 | Nebraska profile | * | $79,180 | $49,380 | $137,260 | 90 | 0.09 | 0.46 |
| 16 | Wisconsin profile | * | $78,780 | $53,180 | $118,400 | 640 | 0.22 | 1.15 |
| 17 | Illinois profile | * | $78,150 | $46,730 | $118,210 | 1,580 | 0.26 | 1.37 |
| 18 | North Dakota profile | * | $78,120 | $52,990 | $108,960 | 50 | 0.12 | 0.64 |
| 19 | Montana profile | * | $78,110 | $50,110 | $131,670 | 60 | 0.12 | 0.63 |
| 20 | Maine profile | * | $78,000 | $58,300 | $111,440 | 60 | 0.10 | 0.51 |
| 21 | Utah profile | * | $77,950 | $59,160 | $137,370 | 180 | 0.11 | 0.55 |
| 22 | West Virginia profile | * | $77,880 | $50,770 | $101,780 | 110 | 0.16 | 0.87 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $77,790 | $48,950 | $116,140 | 1,530 | 0.25 | 1.33 |
| 24 | New Jersey profile | * | $77,780 | $32,220 | $132,870 | 1,380 | 0.32 | 1.70 |
| 25 | Iowa profile | * | $77,700 | $51,380 | $104,740 | 320 | 0.21 | 1.10 |
| 26 | Ohio profile | * | $77,660 | $40,240 | $105,780 | 1,390 | 0.25 | 1.33 |
| 27 | Louisiana profile | * | $77,250 | $51,130 | $123,690 | 170 | 0.09 | 0.46 |
| 28 | Texas profile | * | $77,050 | $46,600 | $127,050 | 2,880 | 0.21 | 1.08 |
| 29 | Wyoming profile | * | $76,760 | $48,480 | $96,320 | 50 | 0.18 | 0.97 |
| 30 | Vermont profile | * | $76,120 | $48,150 | $115,450 | 60 | 0.21 | 1.13 |
| 31 | Washington profile | * | $75,330 | $49,960 | $102,640 | 420 | 0.12 | 0.63 |
| 32 | Virginia profile | * | $73,750 | $50,060 | $126,130 | 790 | 0.19 | 1.02 |
| 33 | Georgia profile | * | $73,430 | $38,850 | $108,090 | 460 | 0.09 | 0.50 |
| 34 | Missouri profile | * | $71,830 | $48,150 | $107,640 | 480 | 0.16 | 0.86 |
| 35 | South Dakota profile | * | $71,300 | $50,190 | $83,000 | 80 | 0.18 | 0.94 |
| 36 | Arizona profile | * | $71,230 | $71,230 | $110,870 | 630 | 0.20 | 1.03 |
| 37 | Colorado profile | * | $69,200 | $37,820 | $126,910 | 560 | 0.20 | 1.04 |
| 38 | Oklahoma profile | * | $66,650 | $38,100 | $86,330 | 230 | 0.14 | 0.72 |
| 39 | Tennessee profile | * | $66,630 | $49,800 | $103,320 | 440 | 0.13 | 0.71 |
| 40 | North Carolina profile | * | $65,850 | $43,360 | $106,930 | 950 | 0.19 | 1.01 |
| 41 | Florida profile | * | $65,740 | $51,120 | $98,830 | 1,260 | 0.13 | 0.67 |
| 42 | Indiana profile | * | $65,390 | $48,760 | $107,480 | 670 | 0.21 | 1.10 |
| 43 | Kansas profile | * | $64,180 | $30,370 | $137,740 | 300 | 0.21 | 1.11 |
| 44 | Alabama profile | * | $63,760 | $47,420 | $99,160 | 300 | 0.14 | 0.74 |
| 45 | Kentucky profile | * | $62,380 | $33,520 | $105,720 | 470 | 0.23 | 1.23 |
| 46 | Mississippi profile | * | $61,290 | $31,600 | $78,730 | 180 | 0.16 | 0.84 |
| 47 | Arkansas profile | * | $59,810 | $47,450 | $78,440 | 140 | 0.11 | 0.55 |
| 48 | New Mexico profile | * | $49,880 | $42,680 | $89,270 | 400 | 0.46 | 2.41 |
| – | Idaho profile | * | * | * | * | 80 | 0.09 | 0.49 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (25-1120), 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 25-1122 Communications Teachers, Postsecondary.
*- Wage 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 25-1122, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-1122.00, 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.