Education Teachers
O*NET title: Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses pertaining to education, such as counseling, curriculum, guidance, instruction, teacher education, and teaching English as a second language. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Also called: Adjunct Education Professor, Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Lecturer, Adult Basic Education Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor
Median pay
$75,350
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$39,530 – $126,860
People employed
60,830
Holland code
SIC
Social · Investigative · Conventional
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want a lot of freedom to make your own decisions?
- 2.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
- 3.Do you prefer working indoors?
- 4.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 5.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Education Teachers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (48 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What education teachers do
- 01Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- 02Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- 03Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- 04Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- 05Supervise students' fieldwork, internship, and research work.
- 06Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Skills that matter most
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Learning Strategies
- Active Listening
- Active Learning
- Writing
Knowledge
- English Language
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Communications and Media
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Cooperation
- Achievement Orientation
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a graduate degree (O*NET Job Zone 5).
- Related work experience: none.
- On-the-job training: none or short demonstration.
- A professional certification is often expected.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from education teachers
- Instructional Coordinators92% · +3%
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School84% · −1%
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors83% · −18%
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education82% · −4%
- Education Administrators, Postsecondary82% · +39%
Change into education teachers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Instructional Coordinators92% · $77,440
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors88% · $64,330
- Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary85% · $42,910
- Training and Development Specialists85% · $69,280
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School82% · $74,260
Majors that lead here
- Education, General
- Bilingual and Multilingual Education
- Multicultural Education
- Indian/Native American Education
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education, Other
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Educational Evaluation and Research
- Educational Statistics and Research Methods
- Educational Assessment, Testing, and Measurement
- Learning Sciences
- Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Other
- Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.