Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1032) earn a median $109,270 a year in the United States, with 40,270 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What engineering teachers, postsecondary do
Engineering teachers at colleges and universities teach the application of physical laws to machines, materials, processes, and systems, across fields such as civil, chemical, electrical, industrial, and mechanical engineering. They prepare lectures and course materials, grade laboratory work and examinations, supervise student projects, and take on research, which includes writing grant proposals to secure outside funding. Teachers of computer science are counted in a separate category. Lecture topics named for the occupation include mechanics, hydraulics, and robotics. Specialties include chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, mineral, and petroleum engineering. Beyond research, faculty supervise undergraduate and graduate teaching, internship, and research work, lead class discussions, and keep up with the field through current literature, colleagues, and professional organizations. Grant funding is part of the picture, since writing proposals for outside research money is listed among the duties.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a doctoral degree.
Also called: Adjunct Engineering Instructor, Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Professor, Aeronautical Engineering Professor, Aeronautical Engineering Teacher.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 40,270 |
| Annual | $61,550 | $81,570 | $109,270 | $150,860 | $210,370 | $124,520 | ||
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 engineering 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 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,720 | 0.15 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $80,660 | $104,920 | $137,280 | $189,630 | $294,260 | $159,690 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,040 | 0.17 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $64,070 | $100,610 | $135,430 | $176,020 | $222,540 | $136,180 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,610 | 0.72 | 2.77 |
| Annual | $80,700 | $100,880 | $134,850 | $177,760 | $275,340 | $150,040 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 700 | 0.14 | 0.55 |
| Annual | $100,480 | $109,100 | $131,260 | $165,570 | $216,760 | $144,280 | ||||
| Delaware | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 210 | 0.43 | 1.67 |
| Annual | $76,790 | $103,740 | $130,730 | $166,730 | $290,620 | $153,210 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 4,080 | 0.29 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $62,130 | $75,490 | $123,280 | $167,360 | $215,640 | $128,830 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,240 | 0.33 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $61,140 | $80,970 | $106,240 | $152,210 | $213,570 | $125,500 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,990 | 0.49 | 1.91 |
| Annual | $36,770 | $41,620 | $82,070 | $119,090 | $143,560 | $88,330 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,720 | 0.15 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $80,660 | $104,920 | $137,280 | $189,630 | $294,260 | $159,690 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,610 | 0.72 | 2.77 |
| Annual | $80,700 | $100,880 | $134,850 | $177,760 | $275,340 | $150,040 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 230 | 0.10 | 0.37 |
| Annual | $85,730 | $128,130 | $175,200 | $221,270 | $300,100 | $180,320 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 90 | 0.05 | 0.20 |
| Annual | $100,250 | $115,870 | $163,110 | $223,860 | $253,610 | $166,360 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 520 | 0.46 | 1.79 |
| Annual | $103,790 | $128,600 | $154,760 | $277,180 | $336,530 | $187,890 | ||||
| Ann Arbor, MI | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 710 | 3.22 | 12.45 |
| Annual | $83,860 | $137,050 | $140,450 | $225,890 | $225,890 | $165,360 | ||||
| Madison, WI | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 340 | 0.83 | 3.20 |
| Annual | $83,420 | $112,830 | $137,840 | $178,610 | $224,260 | $142,960 | ||||
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 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,600 | 0.27 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $49,920 | $80,970 | $123,210 | $162,170 | $215,170 | $128,310 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,010 | 0.75 | 2.88 |
| Annual | $80,720 | $103,530 | $135,480 | $214,460 | $275,340 | $157,030 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,700 | 0.59 | 2.26 |
| Annual | $36,770 | $36,770 | $79,210 | $130,730 | $169,910 | $93,560 | ||||
| College Station-Bryan, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,160 | 8.67 | 33.48 |
| Annual | $62,130 | $63,120 | $129,110 | $170,390 | $289,170 | $136,060 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,130 | 0.18 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $80,660 | $107,640 | $137,760 | $210,450 | $294,260 | $161,200 | ||||
Top industries employing engineering teachers, postsecondary
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools employ 90.7% of engineering teachers, postsecondary nationally (36,520 jobs) at a median $112,300 a year, followed by Junior Colleges (9.2%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 36,520 | 90.7% | $112,300 | * |
| Junior Colleges NAICS 611200 | 3,720 | 9.2% | $81,640 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (40,270). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $104,940 for engineering teachers, postsecondary in May 2021 and $109,270 in May 2025, with employment of 35,440 and 40,270.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $104,940 | * | 35,440 |
| May 2022 | $103,550 | * | 36,010 |
| May 2023 | $106,910 | * | 38,370 |
| May 2024 | $106,120 | * | 39,910 |
| May 2025 | $109,270 | * | 40,270 |
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
50 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 | * | $137,280 | $80,660 | $294,260 | 2,720 | 0.15 | 0.58 |
| 2 | Illinois profile | * | $135,430 | $64,070 | $222,540 | 1,040 | 0.17 | 0.66 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | * | $134,850 | $80,700 | $275,340 | 2,610 | 0.72 | 2.77 |
| 4 | Georgia profile | * | $131,260 | $100,480 | $216,760 | 700 | 0.14 | 0.55 |
| 5 | Delaware profile | * | $130,730 | $76,790 | $290,620 | 210 | 0.43 | 1.67 |
| 6 | Michigan profile | * | $127,230 | $66,580 | $225,890 | 2,120 | 0.48 | 1.86 |
| 7 | New Hampshire profile | * | $127,070 | $77,540 | $214,560 | 170 | 0.24 | 0.94 |
| 8 | Louisiana profile | * | $125,930 | $76,040 | $165,090 | 300 | 0.16 | 0.61 |
| 9 | Connecticut profile | * | $124,350 | $64,460 | $206,360 | 640 | 0.38 | 1.45 |
| 10 | Texas profile | * | $123,280 | $62,130 | $215,640 | 4,080 | 0.29 | 1.12 |
| 11 | Virginia profile | * | $121,880 | $62,910 | $224,190 | 1,070 | 0.26 | 1.00 |
| 12 | Washington profile | * | $119,960 | $67,170 | $211,220 | 820 | 0.23 | 0.89 |
| 13 | Maryland profile | * | $117,200 | $66,820 | $216,050 | 690 | 0.25 | 0.96 |
| 14 | Kansas profile | * | $115,160 | $67,400 | $177,510 | 280 | 0.19 | 0.74 |
| 15 | Wisconsin profile | * | $112,830 | $67,630 | $178,610 | 720 | 0.25 | 0.94 |
| 16 | Idaho profile | * | $112,240 | $63,700 | $132,070 | 180 | 0.21 | 0.82 |
| 17 | Kentucky profile | * | $110,810 | $64,550 | $219,540 | 340 | 0.17 | 0.65 |
| 18 | New Jersey profile | * | $109,910 | $38,700 | $209,830 | 1,270 | 0.30 | 1.14 |
| 19 | North Dakota profile | * | $109,710 | $72,170 | $156,360 | 220 | 0.52 | 2.01 |
| 20 | Alaska profile | * | $109,600 | $71,170 | $167,740 | 40 | 0.13 | 0.48 |
| 21 | Arizona profile | * | $108,540 | $72,300 | $159,690 | 370 | 0.11 | 0.44 |
| 22 | Minnesota profile | * | $108,390 | $63,800 | $163,240 | 560 | 0.19 | 0.73 |
| 23 | Nevada profile | * | $107,890 | $50,640 | $171,240 | 290 | 0.19 | 0.72 |
| 24 | Oregon profile | * | $106,840 | $66,900 | $165,030 | 610 | 0.31 | 1.20 |
| 25 | New York profile | * | $106,240 | $61,140 | $213,570 | 3,240 | 0.33 | 1.29 |
| 26 | Indiana profile | * | $106,010 | $66,800 | $178,570 | 1,500 | 0.47 | 1.81 |
| 27 | New Mexico profile | * | $105,410 | $64,470 | $138,010 | 290 | 0.34 | 1.30 |
| 28 | Utah profile | * | $105,180 | $79,030 | $161,180 | 320 | 0.18 | 0.71 |
| 29 | Arkansas profile | * | $104,210 | $57,820 | $163,780 | 120 | 0.09 | 0.35 |
| 30 | Vermont profile | * | $104,110 | $80,360 | $179,030 | 90 | 0.30 | 1.15 |
| 31 | Colorado profile | * | $104,070 | $54,330 | $171,520 | 1,100 | 0.38 | 1.47 |
| 32 | Alabama profile | * | $103,580 | $59,880 | $164,210 | 650 | 0.31 | 1.19 |
| 33 | South Carolina profile | * | $103,420 | $69,770 | $206,200 | 490 | 0.21 | 0.83 |
| 34 | Wyoming profile | * | $103,380 | $65,260 | $129,410 | 120 | 0.43 | 1.67 |
| 35 | Iowa profile | * | $103,360 | $63,250 | $166,390 | 430 | 0.28 | 1.06 |
| 36 | Rhode Island profile | * | $102,690 | $49,290 | $171,820 | ** | ** | ** |
| 37 | Ohio profile | * | $102,410 | $48,160 | $167,670 | 1,260 | 0.23 | 0.88 |
| 38 | District of Columbia profile | * | $101,970 | $63,740 | $171,980 | 140 | 0.20 | 0.77 |
| 39 | Montana profile | * | $101,170 | $62,810 | $167,470 | 280 | 0.55 | 2.14 |
| 40 | Tennessee profile | * | $100,640 | $66,080 | $178,740 | 790 | 0.24 | 0.93 |
| 41 | Mississippi profile | * | $100,440 | $48,890 | $163,490 | 330 | 0.28 | 1.08 |
| 42 | West Virginia profile | * | $100,400 | $60,510 | $126,980 | 240 | 0.34 | 1.30 |
| 43 | Oklahoma profile | * | $99,790 | $62,090 | $135,890 | 470 | 0.27 | 1.06 |
| 44 | South Dakota profile | * | $97,700 | $82,440 | $126,190 | 120 | 0.26 | 1.01 |
| 45 | Florida profile | * | $97,340 | $59,320 | $211,660 | ** | ** | ** |
| 46 | Nebraska profile | * | $95,860 | $62,310 | $136,910 | 390 | 0.38 | 1.48 |
| 47 | Maine profile | * | $88,750 | $61,450 | $173,820 | 180 | 0.28 | 1.09 |
| 48 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $82,070 | $36,770 | $143,560 | 2,990 | 0.49 | 1.91 |
| – | Missouri profile | * | * | * | * | 620 | 0.21 | 0.81 |
| – | North Carolina profile | * | * | * | * | 1,450 | 0.29 | 1.13 |
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 25-1032 Engineering 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 25-1032, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-1032.00, 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.