Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1072) earn a median $80,250 a year in the United States, with 77,960 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Hawaii.
What nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary do
Nursing instructors and teachers at colleges and universities teach patient care to nursing students, in classrooms and in clinical units of hospitals, where they demonstrate patient care. They supervise laboratory and clinical work, assess clinical education needs as well as the teaching needs of patients and clients, lead discussions, and grade coursework and clinic performance. Lecture topics include pharmacology, mental health nursing, and community health care practices. Some also do research. Their students are future nurses, which distinguishes the work from teaching in other health specialties such as medicine or pharmacy. Titles include clinical nursing instructor, adjunct nursing instructor, and advanced nursing professor. Instructors prepare syllabi and other course materials and compile and grade examinations, or assign that work to others. Both pure teaching posts and teaching-plus-research posts fall within this code.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a master's degree.
Also called: Adjunct Clinical Nursing Instructor, Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Nursing Instructor, Advanced Nursing Professor, Assistant Professor.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 77,960 |
| Annual | $48,800 | $63,510 | $80,250 | $101,090 | $129,500 | $86,410 | ||
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 nursing instructors and 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 | ||||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,890 | 3.02 | 6.02 |
| Annual | $103,160 | $129,420 | $129,530 | $129,620 | $129,640 | $125,620 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 110 | 0.16 | 0.32 |
| Annual | $65,250 | $86,840 | $107,770 | $125,510 | $173,600 | $109,610 | ||||
| Delaware | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 240 | 0.50 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $61,800 | $81,060 | $98,170 | $117,840 | $137,820 | $99,500 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 870 | 0.56 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $57,670 | $75,940 | $96,500 | $101,270 | $121,190 | $89,750 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,380 | 0.82 | 1.63 |
| Annual | $60,790 | $79,550 | $95,500 | $100,170 | $130,380 | $94,470 | ||||
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 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 6,830 | 0.49 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $50,760 | $65,560 | $84,930 | $106,140 | $137,530 | $96,030 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 6,340 | 0.65 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $49,840 | $63,270 | $82,950 | $106,520 | $145,230 | $91,290 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 5,610 | 0.31 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $47,840 | $62,530 | $81,960 | $116,460 | $164,450 | $96,830 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 4,940 | 0.81 | 1.62 |
| Annual | $47,690 | $61,060 | $79,150 | $94,750 | $103,220 | $78,320 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 4,320 | 0.44 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $56,830 | $63,580 | $82,410 | $96,720 | $109,910 | $83,110 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Waco, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 60 | 0.44 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $80,950 | $99,460 | $206,810 | $206,810 | $206,810 | $163,530 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 140 | 0.12 | 0.24 |
| Annual | $95,850 | $122,520 | $150,400 | $203,400 | $203,400 | $152,790 | ||||
| Fresno, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 110 | 0.24 | 0.47 |
| Annual | $61,090 | $85,470 | $135,080 | $135,080 | $162,860 | $114,000 | ||||
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 260 | 1.11 | 2.21 |
| Annual | $72,530 | $96,740 | $111,820 | $111,820 | $111,820 | $105,490 | ||||
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 100 | 1.45 | 2.89 |
| Annual | $65,630 | $86,250 | $111,440 | $127,880 | $127,880 | $105,660 | ||||
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 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 5,290 | 0.56 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $49,920 | $72,910 | $92,050 | $122,330 | $155,590 | $95,360 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,840 | 0.85 | 1.70 |
| Annual | $47,790 | $62,450 | $80,440 | $95,630 | $103,220 | $79,920 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,350 | 0.38 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $47,230 | $61,640 | $79,680 | $104,880 | $138,180 | $89,150 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,050 | 0.71 | 1.41 |
| Annual | $47,280 | $61,550 | $81,040 | $102,560 | $118,470 | $83,690 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,580 | 0.48 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $53,860 | $77,290 | $103,010 | $137,530 | $173,490 | $111,820 | ||||
Top industries employing nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools employ 66.3% of nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary nationally (51,650 jobs) at a median $81,420 a year, followed by Junior Colleges (25.1%) and Technical and Trade Schools (3.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 51,650 | 66.3% | $81,420 | * |
| Junior Colleges NAICS 611200 | 19,580 | 25.1% | $76,790 | * |
| Technical and Trade Schools NAICS 611500 | 2,950 | 3.8% | $77,730 | * |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 2,580 | 3.3% | $106,360 | * |
| Educational Support Services NAICS 611700 | 410 | 0.5% | $96,670 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (77,960). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $77,440 for nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary in May 2021 and $80,250 in May 2025, with employment of 68,060 and 77,960.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $77,440 | * | 68,060 |
| May 2022 | $78,580 | * | 69,190 |
| May 2023 | $80,780 | * | 72,700 |
| May 2024 | $79,940 | * | 74,250 |
| May 2025 | $80,250 | * | 77,960 |
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
51 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 | Hawaii profile | * | $129,530 | $103,160 | $129,640 | 1,890 | 3.02 | 6.02 |
| 2 | District of Columbia profile | * | $107,770 | $65,250 | $173,600 | 110 | 0.16 | 0.32 |
| 3 | Delaware profile | * | $98,170 | $61,800 | $137,820 | 240 | 0.50 | 1.00 |
| 4 | Nevada profile | * | $96,500 | $57,670 | $121,190 | 870 | 0.56 | 1.11 |
| 5 | Connecticut profile | * | $95,500 | $60,790 | $130,380 | 1,380 | 0.82 | 1.63 |
| 6 | Idaho profile | * | $90,890 | $46,940 | $145,940 | 430 | 0.50 | 1.00 |
| 7 | Alaska profile | * | $85,650 | $60,530 | $133,090 | ** | ** | ** |
| 8 | Massachusetts profile | * | $85,130 | $62,200 | $138,240 | 2,280 | 0.63 | 1.25 |
| 9 | Texas profile | * | $84,930 | $50,760 | $137,530 | 6,830 | 0.49 | 0.97 |
| 10 | Wisconsin profile | * | $84,700 | $53,760 | $114,440 | 1,760 | 0.60 | 1.19 |
| 11 | Maryland profile | * | $84,050 | $33,830 | $126,460 | 840 | 0.31 | 0.61 |
| 12 | New York profile | * | $82,950 | $49,840 | $145,230 | 6,340 | 0.65 | 1.30 |
| 13 | Nebraska profile | * | $82,720 | $62,980 | $121,250 | 300 | 0.29 | 0.58 |
| 14 | Virginia profile | * | $82,550 | $57,380 | $118,110 | 1,670 | 0.41 | 0.81 |
| 15 | Colorado profile | * | $82,530 | $39,850 | $127,800 | 1,350 | 0.47 | 0.93 |
| 16 | Florida profile | * | $82,410 | $56,830 | $109,910 | 4,320 | 0.44 | 0.87 |
| 17 | Utah profile | * | $82,320 | $50,190 | $106,850 | 580 | 0.34 | 0.67 |
| 18 | California profile | * | $81,960 | $47,840 | $164,450 | 5,610 | 0.31 | 0.61 |
| 19 | Washington profile | * | $81,630 | $58,320 | $133,840 | 1,300 | 0.37 | 0.73 |
| 20 | Minnesota profile | * | $81,280 | $61,760 | $123,810 | 1,340 | 0.45 | 0.91 |
| 21 | North Dakota profile | * | $80,710 | $61,020 | $106,380 | 150 | 0.34 | 0.68 |
| 22 | North Carolina profile | * | $80,400 | $59,770 | $110,620 | 2,560 | 0.52 | 1.03 |
| 23 | Tennessee profile | * | $80,050 | $60,090 | $109,830 | 1,150 | 0.35 | 0.70 |
| 24 | Louisiana profile | * | $79,960 | $49,370 | $127,910 | 440 | 0.23 | 0.46 |
| 25 | Alabama profile | * | $79,690 | $48,100 | $122,930 | 1,460 | 0.69 | 1.38 |
| 26 | Maine profile | * | $79,600 | $59,970 | $118,810 | 420 | 0.66 | 1.31 |
| 27 | South Carolina profile | * | $79,540 | $60,510 | $128,210 | 1,150 | 0.50 | 1.00 |
| 28 | New Mexico profile | * | $79,380 | $42,680 | $109,880 | 320 | 0.37 | 0.73 |
| 29 | Illinois profile | * | $79,150 | $47,690 | $103,220 | 4,940 | 0.81 | 1.62 |
| 30 | Arizona profile | * | $78,980 | $50,400 | $119,880 | 1,930 | 0.59 | 1.19 |
| 31 | Michigan profile | * | $78,870 | $36,400 | $124,460 | 1,740 | 0.40 | 0.79 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $78,460 | $47,280 | $107,640 | 4,290 | 0.71 | 1.41 |
| 33 | Rhode Island profile | * | $78,340 | $50,890 | $106,220 | 260 | 0.52 | 1.04 |
| 34 | New Hampshire profile | * | $78,310 | $63,100 | $102,870 | 320 | 0.46 | 0.92 |
| 35 | Oregon profile | * | $78,050 | $46,900 | $130,810 | 450 | 0.23 | 0.46 |
| 36 | Montana profile | * | $77,980 | $48,560 | $99,800 | 240 | 0.47 | 0.94 |
| 37 | Georgia profile | * | $77,720 | $44,480 | $111,820 | 1,590 | 0.33 | 0.65 |
| 38 | Iowa profile | * | $77,360 | $49,450 | $104,820 | 770 | 0.49 | 0.98 |
| 39 | New Jersey profile | * | $76,980 | $32,220 | $128,910 | 2,000 | 0.47 | 0.93 |
| 40 | Ohio profile | * | $76,700 | $31,380 | $101,340 | 4,290 | 0.77 | 1.54 |
| 41 | Missouri profile | * | $76,340 | $48,610 | $119,050 | 1,040 | 0.35 | 0.70 |
| 42 | Indiana profile | * | $76,080 | $48,740 | $107,420 | 1,520 | 0.48 | 0.95 |
| 43 | Mississippi profile | * | $75,060 | $61,150 | $106,400 | 1,050 | 0.90 | 1.80 |
| 44 | Wyoming profile | * | $72,590 | $49,360 | $101,580 | 150 | 0.54 | 1.07 |
| 45 | Kentucky profile | * | $71,920 | $47,730 | $105,880 | 1,130 | 0.56 | 1.12 |
| 46 | Oklahoma profile | * | $67,840 | $51,780 | $84,830 | 640 | 0.37 | 0.74 |
| 47 | Vermont profile | * | $66,660 | $63,510 | $95,600 | ** | ** | ** |
| 48 | South Dakota profile | * | $66,630 | $59,160 | $97,260 | 250 | 0.55 | 1.10 |
| 49 | Arkansas profile | * | $63,090 | $48,960 | $93,060 | 830 | 0.64 | 1.27 |
| 50 | Kansas profile | * | $62,870 | $47,940 | $91,220 | 470 | 0.33 | 0.65 |
| 51 | West Virginia profile | * | $62,210 | $47,400 | $90,270 | 400 | 0.57 | 1.14 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (25-1070), 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 25-1072 Nursing Instructors and 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 25-1072, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-1072.00, 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.