Social Work Teachers
O*NET title: Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses in social work. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Also called: Adjunct Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Clinical Professor, College Faculty Member, College Professor
Median pay
$77,570
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$48,200 – $126,790
People employed
12,610
Holland code
SIA
Social · Investigative · Artistic
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 variety, with new tasks often?
- 2.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
- 3.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 4.Do you want a lot of freedom to make your own decisions?
- 5.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 6.Do you prefer a steady pace without constant deadlines?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Social Work Teachers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (43 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What social work teachers do
- 01Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- 02Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, or handouts.
- 03Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- 04Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- 05Supervise students' laboratory and field work.
- 06Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as family behavior, child and adolescent mental health, or social intervention evaluation.
Skills that matter most
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge
- Education and Training
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- English Language
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: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years.
- On-the-job training: none or short demonstration.
- A certification can help.
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 social work teachers
- Sociologists85% · +37%
- Instructional Coordinators85% · 0%
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School85% · −4%
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors83% · −17%
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education82% · −7%
Change into social work teachers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Marriage and Family Therapists83% · $66,940
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers83% · $60,280
- Healthcare Social Workers81% · $67,880
- Instructional Coordinators81% · $77,440
- Rehabilitation Counselors81% · $46,850
Majors that lead here
- Gerontology
- Social Work
- Forensic Social Work
- Social Work, Other
- Clinical/Medical Social Work
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.