Compensation
Median Pay
$80,250
National median annual wage for this occupation.
National Career Overview
Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
National Median Pay
$80,250
Projected Growth
16.8%
Annual Openings
8,600
Career outlook
National Snapshot
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National
Employment
91,600
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Outlook
Projected Growth
16.8%
Projected employment change through 2034.
Opportunity
Annual Openings
8,600
Estimated openings created each year.
Pathway
Preparation
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
STEP 1
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
STEP 2
Experience
Less than 5 years
STEP 3
Training
None
Top Skills for Success
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Adaptability
98 / 100
98%
Leadership
96 / 100
96%
Speaking & listening
94 / 100
94%
Computers & information technology
92 / 100
92%
Interpersonal
91 / 100
91%
Writing & reading
91 / 100
91%
Problem solving & decision making
89 / 100
89%
Science
88 / 100
88%
Detail oriented
87 / 100
87%
Mathematics
85 / 100
85%
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Location Intelligence
Best Places for This Career
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
PRO
Best Metro Areas
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
- Top-paying cities
- Fast-growing markets
- Local opportunity rankings
CAREERGPS INSIGHTS
Career Analysis for Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Is Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary a Good Career?
Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary, play a key role in educating future nurses and advancing nursing knowledge. This career combines expertise in nursing with teaching responsibilities in postsecondary settings. With national employment at 92,000 and a projected employment growth rate of 16.8%, the field shows substantial expansion. About 9,000 annual openings suggest ongoing opportunities for both new and experienced professionals to enter or move within this career path. The national median annual salary of $79,940 reflects solid earning potential, with some states and metro areas offering higher median pay. The role draws on a broad set of strengths, including adaptability, leadership, communication, problem solving, and science. Individuals considering this path can look at similar occupations such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and various physician specialties as related options. Overall, this career offers a combination of stable demand, growth, and the chance to contribute directly to the nursing workforce through education.
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary, earn a national median annual salary of $79,940, with notable variation by state and metro. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $81,630 in Washington to $85,130 in Massachusetts, with California, New York, and Colorado also above the national median. At the metro level, pay can be significantly higher. The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro shows a median salary of $150,400, while the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metros report median salaries of $94,740 and $92,050, respectively. Other strong metros such as San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH offer median pay above $80,000. This range indicates that geographic choice can substantially influence earning potential within this career.
Job Outlook for Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
The employment outlook for nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary, is strong based on the available data. National employment stands at 92,000, with projected employment growth of 16.8%. This growth projection indicates a sizeable increase in positions over time. In addition, there are about 9,000 annual openings, reflecting both new job creation and replacement needs. This combination of growth and recurring openings suggests continued demand for professionals who can teach and mentor nursing students at the postsecondary level. The same 16.8% growth rate appears in multiple states and metro areas highlighted by opportunity scores, reinforcing the consistency of the projected expansion across different regions. For individuals interested in related paths, similar occupations include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, neurologists, cardiologists, and general internal medicine physicians, offering alternative routes within the broader healthcare and education landscape.
Where Are the Best Opportunities for Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary?
Location plays a significant role in opportunity for nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary. Among states, California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Washington have some of the highest CareerGPS opportunity scores, ranging from 56.29 in Washington to 67.38 in California. Median salaries in these states cluster in the low-to-mid $80,000s, with Massachusetts at $85,130 and Washington at $81,630. Employment levels also differ: New York has 6,340 employed, while Colorado and Washington each have around 1,300–1,350. Metro areas show even more variation. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA stands out with a median salary of $150,400 but relatively small employment at 140. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ combines a high median salary of $92,050 with substantial employment of 5,290. Other metros such as San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV; and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH offer opportunity scores above 63, with median salaries in the low-to-mid $80,000s and employment between 700 and 1,560.
Education for Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
For nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary, the typical education requirement is a doctoral or professional degree. This indicates that most roles in this field expect advanced academic preparation beyond the undergraduate and master’s levels. In addition to formal education, the role draws on a broad mix of skills. Key strengths include adaptability and leadership, which can support guiding students and managing classroom or program needs. Speaking and listening, along with interpersonal and writing and reading skills, are central to effective instruction and communication in postsecondary environments. Problem solving and decision making, as well as science and mathematics, reflect the analytical and technical aspects relevant to nursing education. Being detail oriented also aligns with the precision often associated with academic and health-related work. Together, these educational and skill expectations point to a career suited to individuals who want to combine advanced study with teaching and mentoring responsibilities.
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