Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1022) earn a median $79,940 a year in the United States, with 47,670 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.

What mathematical science teachers, postsecondary do

Postsecondary mathematical science teachers teach mathematics, statistics, and actuarial science, including linear algebra, differential equations, and discrete mathematics. They prepare and give lectures, write and grade problem sets and examinations, hold office hours, and keep records of grades and attendance. Faculty with research duties also conduct research and publish findings. Teachers of computer science and of the physical sciences are classified separately, even when their courses lean heavily on mathematics. Titles range from adjunct instructor to assistant, associate, and full professor. They also plan and revise curricula, moderate classroom discussion, and maintain regular office hours to advise and assist students. The work also covers applying standard and original mathematical techniques to specific problems, and alternate titles include algebra teacher and actuarial science professor.

Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a master's degree.

Also called: Actuarial Science Professor, Actuarial Science Teacher, Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Mathematics Instructor, Adjunct Professor.

National wage percentiles, May 2025

Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary: US hourly and annual wage percentiles, mean and employment, May 2025
AreaBasisPercentile wageMeanEmployment
10th25thMedian75th90th
United StatesHourly******47,670
Annual$49,180$61,690$79,940$105,000$139,340$91,550
$0$50k$100k$150k10th10th: $49,180$49,18025th25th: $61,690$61,690MedianMedian: $79,940$79,94075th75th: $105,000$105,00090th90th: $139,340$139,340
Annual wage at the 10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th and 90th percentiles. The same numbers are in the table above.

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 mathematical science teachers, postsecondary earn and work most

Five highest-paying states

Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary: the five states with the highest median wage, May 2025
AreaBasisPercentile wageMeanEmploymentJobs per 1,000Location quotient
10th25thMedian75th90th
CaliforniaHourly******3,8100.210.68
Annual$77,570$101,600$130,680$169,110$226,560$141,340
DelawareHourly******1300.260.84
Annual$61,060$76,060$101,510$127,030$154,180$104,480
MichiganHourly******1,4200.321.05
Annual$45,310$67,670$99,330$125,010$174,260$104,810
Rhode IslandHourly******2600.511.68
Annual$62,810$79,180$95,600$131,890$183,740$113,690
OregonHourly******8200.421.37
Annual$59,000$66,850$91,770$120,890$138,260$98,190

Five states with the most jobs

Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary: the five states with the highest employment, May 2025
AreaBasisPercentile wageMeanEmploymentJobs per 1,000Location quotient
10th25thMedian75th90th
TexasHourly******4,8700.351.13
Annual$47,430$60,030$76,990$100,010$130,280$85,160
New YorkHourly******4,0800.421.37
Annual$52,400$67,080$87,230$124,830$162,400$99,810
CaliforniaHourly******3,8100.210.68
Annual$77,570$101,600$130,680$169,110$226,560$141,340
FloridaHourly******2,6600.270.87
Annual$51,670$56,640$60,700$77,120$84,940$66,710
IllinoisHourly******2,3900.391.28
Annual$42,060$59,660$77,080$103,290$129,280$82,100

Five highest-paying metropolitan areas

Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary: the five metropolitan areas with the highest median wage, May 2025
AreaBasisPercentile wageMeanEmploymentJobs per 1,000Location quotient
10th25thMedian75th90th
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CAHourly******3400.200.64
Annual$82,880$111,440$150,550$196,460$250,700$157,930
Ann Arbor, MIHourly******3101.394.54
Annual$67,670$67,670$137,720$174,260$325,900$149,390
Fresno, CAHourly******1000.210.68
Annual$86,730$122,370$135,890$165,890$165,890$132,990
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CAHourly******3900.260.83
Annual$76,390$100,260$135,860$172,060$221,210$140,960
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CAHourly******4700.200.65
Annual$64,820$101,390$134,920$233,090$277,480$166,550

Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs

Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary: the five metropolitan areas with the highest employment, May 2025
AreaBasisPercentile wageMeanEmploymentJobs per 1,000Location quotient
10th25thMedian75th90th
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJHourly******3,6000.381.24
Annual$49,630$69,150$98,130$131,560$171,870$104,400
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-INHourly******1,8100.401.31
Annual$45,120$59,530$68,050$101,900$128,100$81,230
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAHourly******1,4000.220.73
Annual$77,430$101,270$131,070$177,540$225,710$142,840
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXHourly******1,3600.341.09
Annual$51,370$63,370$77,230$99,050$119,010$81,630
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHHourly******1,3200.491.59
Annual$60,720$68,350$86,510$124,330$167,400$103,890

Top industries employing mathematical science teachers, postsecondary

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools employ 60.8% of mathematical science teachers, postsecondary nationally (29,000 jobs) at a median $82,170 a year, followed by Junior Colleges (38.7%) and Technical and Trade Schools (0.2%).

Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary: the 3 industries with the highest employment, United States, May 2025 (4-digit NAICS)
IndustryEmploymentShare of occupationMedian annualMedian hourly
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 61130029,00060.8%$82,170*
Junior Colleges NAICS 61120018,47038.7%$77,150*
Technical and Trade Schools NAICS 6115001100.2%$62,160*

Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (47,670). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.

Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025

BLS published a median annual wage of $77,580 for mathematical science teachers, postsecondary in May 2021 and $79,940 in May 2025, with employment of 44,140 and 47,670.

Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary: median annual wage, median hourly wage and employment in each OEWS May release, United States, as published
ReleaseMedian annualMedian hourlyEmployment
May 2021$77,580*44,140
May 2022$77,420*46,560
May 2023$81,020*48,230
May 2024$79,350*48,820
May 2025$79,940*47,670
Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary: median annual wage by OEWS release, May 2021 to May 2025$0$25k$50k$75k$100kMay 2021May 2022May 2023May 2024May 2025May 2021: $77,580$77,580May 2022: $77,420$77,420May 2023: $81,020$81,020May 2024: $79,350$79,350May 2025: $79,940$79,940OEWS releaseMedian annual wage
Median annual wage in each release, as published; a release without a published median has no point. The same numbers are in the table above.

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.

RankStateMedian hourlyMedian annual10th pct (annual)90th pct (annual)EmploymentJobs per 1,000Location quotient
1California profile*$130,680$77,570$226,5603,8100.210.68
2Delaware profile*$101,510$61,060$154,1801300.260.84
3Michigan profile*$99,330$45,310$174,2601,4200.321.05
4Rhode Island profile*$95,600$62,810$183,7402600.511.68
5Oregon profile*$91,770$59,000$138,2608200.421.37
6New Hampshire profile*$91,670$54,460$163,1901500.220.72
7New York profile*$87,230$52,400$162,4004,0800.421.37
8Minnesota profile*$85,570$61,310$130,9406900.230.76
9Washington profile*$85,560$59,360$131,9908200.230.75
10Massachusetts profile*$85,490$60,490$165,4901,8800.521.68
11Connecticut profile*$85,020$58,960$160,5208200.491.58
12Vermont profile*$84,860$61,030$140,2101700.551.79
13Maryland profile*$83,360$54,030$176,6308200.300.97
14Utah profile*$83,270$49,510$134,2903700.220.70
15Nevada profile*$82,540$53,020$109,0702500.160.52
16Pennsylvania profile*$82,170$49,790$126,7902,0000.331.07
17Colorado profile*$81,930$50,780$134,0208900.311.01
18District of Columbia profile*$81,880$63,230$159,7402600.361.19
19Ohio profile*$81,330$45,280$127,6101,6000.290.94
20Maine profile*$81,130$59,380$139,6401700.260.86
21New Jersey profile*$80,660$32,220$139,9101,6600.391.27
22Montana profile*$80,610$51,520$122,5201200.240.78
23Wisconsin profile*$80,480$60,640$141,1607800.270.87
24Iowa profile*$80,300$52,810$134,0404500.290.94
25Louisiana profile*$79,940$47,290$118,7503400.180.58
26Nebraska profile*$79,310$54,740$133,3902700.260.86
27Indiana profile*$78,780$50,490$133,4801,1000.341.12
28South Carolina profile*$77,580$51,340$105,4907000.300.99
29Illinois profile*$77,080$42,060$129,2802,3900.391.28
30Texas profile*$76,990$47,430$130,2804,8700.351.13
31Wyoming profile*$76,910$47,890$101,4701100.381.24
32North Dakota profile*$76,770$54,300$119,8101200.280.91
33Tennessee profile*$76,240$49,780$137,1008700.270.87
34Virginia profile*$75,830$42,400$136,0001,5700.381.25
35Missouri profile*$74,640$47,270$124,8007400.250.82
36North Carolina profile*$73,620$49,410$132,7201,8700.381.23
37Arizona profile*$71,230$61,220$99,4606800.210.68
38West Virginia profile*$69,370$50,050$114,8802100.300.98
39New Mexico profile*$66,550$42,680$106,3104000.461.48
40Georgia profile*$66,440$40,020$108,5001,1000.230.73
41Alabama profile*$65,900$50,230$97,8608500.401.31
42Kentucky profile*$65,820$47,300$129,8904900.240.79
43Oklahoma profile*$64,660$34,290$95,4004300.250.81
44South Dakota profile*$64,620$52,060$106,8401300.280.91
45Kansas profile*$64,330$45,280$131,9904600.321.05
46Mississippi profile*$61,760$46,630$97,5903600.311.01
47Florida profile*$60,700$51,670$84,9402,6600.270.87
48Arkansas profile*$54,340$37,250$77,8602900.220.72
–Idaho profile****2000.230.76

Occupations in the same SOC broad group (25-1020), 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 25-1022 Mathematical Science 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

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.