Compensation
Median Pay
$128,500
National median annual wage for this occupation.
National Career Overview
Law teachers, postsecondary
Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
National Median Pay
$128,500
Projected Growth
2.2%
Annual Openings
2,200
Career outlook
National Snapshot
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National
Employment
29,500
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Outlook
Projected Growth
2.2%
Projected employment change through 2034.
Opportunity
Annual Openings
2,200
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.
Speaking & listening
99 / 100
99%
Writing & reading
98 / 100
98%
Adaptability
84 / 100
84%
Critical & analytical thinking
82 / 100
82%
Creativity & innovation
81 / 100
81%
Problem solving & decision making
73 / 100
73%
Leadership
62 / 100
62%
Computers & information technology
56 / 100
56%
Interpersonal
55 / 100
55%
Customer service
26 / 100
26%
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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.
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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 Law Teachers, Postsecondary
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Is Law teachers, postsecondary a Good Career?
Law teachers in postsecondary education work in an occupation with a relatively small national workforce of about 30,000 people and a national median annual salary of $126,650. The field is projected to grow by 2.2%, with about 2,000 openings each year, indicating steady movement from new positions and turnover. This role generally requires a doctoral or professional degree, reflecting the advanced level of expertise expected. Top skills span communication, critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and decision making, leadership, and strong interpersonal abilities, supported by comfort with computers and information technology. Creativity, innovation, and adaptability are also important, suggesting that law teachers operate in environments where ideas, methods, and audiences can change over time. Individuals interested in related paths might also consider other postsecondary teaching roles such as philosophy and religion teachers, history teachers, political science teachers, library science teachers, or foreign language and literature teachers as alternative career directions.
Law Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
The national median annual salary for law teachers, postsecondary, is $126,650, showing strong earning potential for those who reach this level. Earnings vary meaningfully by state and metro area. Among the highlighted states, Virginia shows a median salary of $136,270, followed by New York at $132,180 and Massachusetts at $132,010, while California and Washington report $119,540 and $125,210 respectively. At the metro level, Boston-Cambridge-Newton stands out with a median salary of $170,310, the highest among the listed areas. The New York-Newark-Jersey City metro reports $144,130, and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria reports $134,090. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont offers $130,010, while Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim shows $114,330. These differences indicate that location choices can significantly affect salary prospects within this occupation.
Job Outlook for Law Teachers, Postsecondary
Law teachers, postsecondary, have national employment of about 30,000, with projected employment growth of 2.2%. This projected growth, combined with approximately 2,000 annual openings, suggests a stable flow of opportunities from both new positions and replacement needs. The same 2.2% growth rate appears in several key states and metro areas listed, indicating consistency across many of the locations highlighted. States such as California, Massachusetts, New York, Washington, and Virginia, as well as major metro areas like New York-Newark-Jersey City, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, all share this 2.2% growth figure. For students and career changers, the combination of a clearly defined education requirement, a modest-sized workforce, and ongoing openings each year creates a structured environment in which to plan a long-term academic or teaching-focused career in law.
Where Are the Best Opportunities for Law Teachers, Postsecondary?
Location plays a significant role in career planning for postsecondary law teachers. At the state level, California has the largest listed employment at 7,800, paired with a median salary of $119,540 and an opportunity score of 67.38, the highest among the highlighted states. New York (employment 2,190, median salary $132,180) and Massachusetts (employment 840, median salary $132,010) both combine relatively high salaries with opportunity scores above 65. Virginia and Washington have smaller employment totals—400 and 150 respectively—but still provide six-figure median salaries and mid-50s opportunity scores. Among metro areas, New York-Newark-Jersey City stands out with an opportunity score of 77.27, employment of 2,180, and a median salary of $144,130. Boston-Cambridge-Newton shows the highest listed metro salary at $170,310, with 710 employed. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria offer median salaries above $130,000, while Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pairs the largest listed metro employment (2,940) with a median salary of $114,330.
Education for Law Teachers, Postsecondary
Postsecondary law teaching typically requires a doctoral or professional degree, reflecting the high level of academic and professional preparation associated with this career. This advanced education supports the development of the broad skill set highlighted for the role. Strong speaking and listening skills, along with writing and reading, are central to effective communication in academic settings. Critical and analytical thinking, creativity and innovation, and problem solving and decision making underpin the intellectual demands of teaching at this level. Leadership and interpersonal skills are also important, indicating that law teachers often operate in roles that involve guiding, influencing, and working closely with others. Adaptability suggests the need to adjust to evolving expectations, students, and institutional needs. Comfort with computers and information technology, together with customer service skills, rounds out a profile that mixes subject-matter expertise with communication, relationship-building, and the ability to function effectively in modern educational environments.
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