Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1066) earn a median $80,340 a year in the United States, with 41,530 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What psychology teachers, postsecondary do
Psychology teachers teach college courses in subjects such as abnormal, child, clinical, developmental, and cognitive psychology, as well as psychological counseling and topics like work motivation. They lecture, lead discussions, grade examinations, laboratory work, and papers, and stay current with research. Faculty with research duties also publish their findings. The role is academic; psychologists who practice with clients are classified in other occupations. Faculty also supervise undergraduate and graduate teaching, internship, and research work, prepare syllabi and other course materials, and compile and grade examinations. Their duties can include helping to recruit and hire new faculty. Alternate titles show specialties such as abnormal psychology and applied psychology, and ranks from adjunct instructor to assistant professor and beyond. The occupation covers teachers primarily engaged in teaching as well as those who combine teaching with research.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a doctoral degree.
Also called: Abnormal Psychology Teacher, Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Professor, Adjunct Psychology Faculty Member, Adjunct Psychology Instructor.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 41,530 |
| Annual | $49,050 | $63,400 | $80,340 | $105,920 | $153,600 | $93,860 | ||
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 psychology 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 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 4,410 | 0.24 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $68,200 | $81,600 | $107,340 | $165,660 | $205,930 | $126,620 | ||||
| Delaware | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $63,780 | $72,550 | $102,340 | $127,930 | $171,920 | $114,090 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 640 | 0.23 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $61,400 | $77,910 | $101,430 | $130,300 | $207,700 | $121,600 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 340 | 0.48 | 1.80 |
| Annual | $62,560 | $79,020 | $101,250 | $123,300 | $159,910 | $103,860 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 4,070 | 0.42 | 1.57 |
| Annual | $63,110 | $77,670 | $100,720 | $128,060 | $204,490 | $110,220 | ||||
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 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 4,410 | 0.24 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $68,200 | $81,600 | $107,340 | $165,660 | $205,930 | $126,620 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 4,070 | 0.42 | 1.57 |
| Annual | $63,110 | $77,670 | $100,720 | $128,060 | $204,490 | $110,220 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,380 | 0.24 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $39,320 | $55,970 | $77,060 | $101,610 | $133,070 | $86,210 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,640 | 0.73 | 2.72 |
| Annual | $59,350 | $68,530 | $82,930 | $104,390 | $138,250 | $96,600 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,260 | 0.37 | 1.39 |
| Annual | $37,930 | $50,960 | $77,860 | $105,790 | $130,950 | $82,470 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Ann Arbor, MI | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 140 | 0.63 | 2.35 |
| Annual | $78,610 | $108,650 | $142,840 | $172,360 | $230,950 | $155,450 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 400 | 0.24 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $76,460 | $99,160 | $137,810 | $206,540 | $250,700 | $158,450 | ||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 230 | 0.21 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $74,670 | $95,790 | $133,880 | $168,140 | $216,690 | $141,550 | ||||
| Fresno, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 150 | 0.32 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $80,040 | $99,600 | $133,490 | $170,430 | $174,020 | $131,390 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 330 | 0.14 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $67,490 | $91,940 | $129,610 | $185,040 | $221,400 | $140,530 | ||||
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 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,950 | 0.42 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $63,110 | $77,580 | $102,740 | $130,620 | $204,490 | $112,360 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,830 | 0.29 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $68,310 | $78,930 | $101,980 | $155,500 | $191,670 | $117,560 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,690 | 0.62 | 2.34 |
| Annual | $59,350 | $66,570 | $82,930 | $107,080 | $140,080 | $98,400 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,620 | 0.36 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $38,570 | $50,330 | $77,860 | $105,790 | $130,950 | $83,070 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 860 | 0.30 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $47,830 | $63,150 | $77,840 | $104,020 | $165,380 | $90,990 | ||||
Top industries employing psychology teachers, postsecondary
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools employ 82.8% of psychology teachers, postsecondary nationally (34,380 jobs) at a median $80,230 a year, followed by Junior Colleges (17.0%) and Technical and Trade Schools (0.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 34,380 | 82.8% | $80,230 | * |
| Junior Colleges NAICS 611200 | 7,050 | 17.0% | $81,370 | * |
| Technical and Trade Schools NAICS 611500 | 30 | 0.1% | $56,590 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (41,530). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $77,860 for psychology teachers, postsecondary in May 2021 and $80,340 in May 2025, with employment of 36,060 and 41,530.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $77,860 | * | 36,060 |
| May 2022 | $78,810 | * | 40,050 |
| May 2023 | $82,140 | * | 40,610 |
| May 2024 | $80,330 | * | 41,610 |
| May 2025 | $80,340 | * | 41,530 |
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 | * | $107,340 | $68,200 | $205,930 | 4,410 | 0.24 | 0.91 |
| 2 | Delaware profile | * | $102,340 | $63,780 | $171,920 | ** | ** | ** |
| 3 | Maryland profile | * | $101,430 | $61,400 | $207,700 | 640 | 0.23 | 0.87 |
| 4 | District of Columbia profile | * | $101,250 | $62,560 | $159,910 | 340 | 0.48 | 1.80 |
| 5 | New York profile | * | $100,720 | $63,110 | $204,490 | 4,070 | 0.42 | 1.57 |
| 6 | Michigan profile | * | $99,900 | $47,260 | $172,360 | 920 | 0.21 | 0.78 |
| 7 | North Dakota profile | * | $97,110 | $63,230 | $148,730 | 60 | 0.13 | 0.50 |
| 8 | New Hampshire profile | * | $95,030 | $64,330 | $209,630 | 110 | 0.17 | 0.63 |
| 9 | Rhode Island profile | * | $94,360 | $62,340 | $138,110 | 180 | 0.36 | 1.35 |
| 10 | Utah profile | * | $93,090 | $61,070 | $127,380 | 200 | 0.12 | 0.43 |
| 11 | Louisiana profile | * | $91,340 | $52,870 | $128,760 | 140 | 0.07 | 0.27 |
| 12 | Connecticut profile | * | $84,500 | $60,620 | $137,140 | 920 | 0.54 | 2.04 |
| 13 | New Mexico profile | * | $83,600 | $51,740 | $172,960 | 100 | 0.11 | 0.42 |
| 14 | Idaho profile | * | $83,010 | $35,100 | $126,990 | 180 | 0.21 | 0.77 |
| 15 | Massachusetts profile | * | $82,930 | $59,350 | $138,250 | 2,640 | 0.73 | 2.72 |
| 16 | Minnesota profile | * | $82,640 | $60,010 | $164,930 | 760 | 0.26 | 0.96 |
| 17 | Maine profile | * | $81,660 | $57,200 | $137,060 | 110 | 0.17 | 0.64 |
| 18 | Nevada profile | * | $81,300 | $64,220 | $129,360 | 140 | 0.09 | 0.34 |
| 19 | Vermont profile | * | $81,100 | $60,420 | $141,520 | 100 | 0.32 | 1.19 |
| 20 | New Jersey profile | * | $80,790 | $32,730 | $163,560 | 1,630 | 0.38 | 1.42 |
| 21 | Oregon profile | * | $80,060 | $46,350 | $146,700 | 660 | 0.33 | 1.25 |
| 22 | Kansas profile | * | $79,730 | $46,270 | $138,280 | 230 | 0.16 | 0.61 |
| 23 | Georgia profile | * | $79,440 | $45,170 | $135,630 | 820 | 0.17 | 0.63 |
| 24 | Missouri profile | * | $79,240 | $50,590 | $130,710 | 590 | 0.20 | 0.76 |
| 25 | Alaska profile | * | $79,040 | $78,120 | $122,810 | 70 | 0.22 | 0.81 |
| 26 | Arizona profile | * | $78,610 | $61,620 | $127,360 | 940 | 0.29 | 1.08 |
| 27 | Ohio profile | * | $78,530 | $40,850 | $121,580 | 1,500 | 0.27 | 1.02 |
| 28 | Iowa profile | * | $78,450 | $44,730 | $161,960 | 320 | 0.20 | 0.76 |
| 29 | Washington profile | * | $78,330 | $50,180 | $108,560 | 840 | 0.24 | 0.88 |
| 30 | Virginia profile | * | $77,950 | $47,050 | $135,810 | 1,050 | 0.26 | 0.95 |
| 31 | Illinois profile | * | $77,860 | $37,930 | $130,950 | 2,260 | 0.37 | 1.39 |
| 32 | Indiana profile | * | $77,820 | $50,910 | $136,980 | 760 | 0.24 | 0.89 |
| 33 | Wisconsin profile | * | $77,580 | $52,950 | $136,890 | 630 | 0.21 | 0.80 |
| 34 | Nebraska profile | * | $77,340 | $59,060 | $140,180 | 170 | 0.16 | 0.61 |
| 35 | Montana profile | * | $77,120 | $45,780 | $141,160 | 90 | 0.18 | 0.69 |
| 36 | Texas profile | * | $77,060 | $39,320 | $133,070 | 3,380 | 0.24 | 0.90 |
| 37 | Colorado profile | * | $76,810 | $39,580 | $132,980 | 960 | 0.33 | 1.25 |
| 38 | Tennessee profile | * | $76,010 | $50,860 | $127,760 | 790 | 0.24 | 0.90 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $75,960 | $47,750 | $124,090 | 2,120 | 0.35 | 1.31 |
| 40 | Alabama profile | * | $75,340 | $49,000 | $129,240 | 610 | 0.29 | 1.08 |
| 41 | North Carolina profile | * | $75,260 | $49,820 | $109,840 | 1,100 | 0.22 | 0.83 |
| 42 | South Carolina profile | * | $74,890 | $48,760 | $125,340 | 390 | 0.17 | 0.63 |
| 43 | Kentucky profile | * | $74,520 | $43,260 | $110,660 | 590 | 0.29 | 1.10 |
| 44 | West Virginia profile | * | $74,280 | $29,620 | $128,730 | 150 | 0.21 | 0.77 |
| 45 | Florida profile | * | $69,050 | $58,230 | $99,840 | 1,120 | 0.11 | 0.42 |
| 46 | Wyoming profile | * | $65,050 | $49,570 | $103,960 | 80 | 0.27 | 1.02 |
| 47 | South Dakota profile | * | $65,020 | $58,870 | $111,750 | 70 | 0.15 | 0.54 |
| 48 | Mississippi profile | * | $62,590 | $46,620 | $96,580 | 260 | 0.23 | 0.84 |
| 49 | Oklahoma profile | * | $61,720 | $32,220 | $104,390 | 410 | 0.24 | 0.90 |
| 50 | Arkansas profile | * | $60,730 | $46,320 | $96,720 | 190 | 0.14 | 0.53 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (25-1060), 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 25-1066 Psychology 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 25-1066, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-1066.00, 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.