The median pay for Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary is $77,570 a year, according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 2.6% through 2035, with about 1,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
- SOC 25-1113
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary in four numbers
- Median pay
- $77,570a yearBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $48KTop 10% $127K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.6%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,10016,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202516K
- Projected 203516.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 16K Projected 2035 16.4K - Typical education
- Doctorateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Master's28.7%
- Professional degree6%
- Doctorate60.7%
- Post-doctoral training4.5%
Highest education held by social work teachers, postsecondary Segment Value Master's 28.7% Professional degree 6% Doctorate 60.7% Post-doctoral training 4.5%
Also advertised as: Adjunct Professor, Assistant Professor, Clinical Professor, Faculty Member, Field Education Coordinator, Professor.
Pay
How much do Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary make?
Every social work teacher, postsecondary in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$77,570
Middle half earn $61,170 to $100,400
- 10th
- $48,200
- 25th
- $61,170
- 75th
- $100,400
- 90th
- $126,790
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $48,200 |
| 25th | $61,170 |
| Median | $77,570 |
| 75th | $100,400 |
| 90th | $126,790 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $77,570
- Median hourly wage
- N/A
- Mean annual wage
- $83,940
- People employed
- 12,610
Versus all US occupations
At $77,570, Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary earn 52% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $26,590 a year.
Versus educational instruction and library occupations
Inside the Educational Instruction and Library group, where the middle occupation pays $68,270, this is 14% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $126,790 or more while the bottom 10% earn $48,200, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 54% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Hawaii pays the most at $133,340, and still leads at $121,272 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Hawaii | $133,340 | $121,272 | 50 |
| 2Kansas | $108,610 | $120,587 | 50 |
| 3Delaware | $100,550 | $100,743 | 50 |
| 4South Carolina | $100,400 | $107,094 | 80 |
| 5New York | $98,700 | $91,456 | 1,840 |
| 6Maryland | $97,110 | $92,522 | 230 |
| 7Texas | $83,440 | $85,970 | 90 |
| 8Minnesota | $82,470 | $83,623 | 360 |
| 9Utah | $81,850 | $82,791 | 100 |
| 10California | $81,500 | $73,609 | 230 |
Job outlook
Is Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +2.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary | +2.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary to change 2.6% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,100 openings are projected each year, 6.9% of the 16,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of postsecondary teachers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of postsecondary teachers varies by occupation (see table). Both part-time and full-time postsecondary teachers are included in these projections.
The number of people attending postsecondary institutions is expected to grow over the projections decade. Students will continue to seek higher education to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to meet their career goals. As more people enter colleges and universities, more postsecondary teachers will be needed to serve these additional students. Colleges and universities are likely to hire more part-time teachers to meet this demand. In all disciplines, there is expected to be a limited number of full-time nontenure and full-time tenure positions.
Getting in
How to become a Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary
Educational requirements vary with the subject taught and the type of educational institution. Typically, postsecondary teachers must have a Ph.D. or other doctoral degree in their field. However, a master's degree may be enough for some postsecondary teachers at community colleges. Other postsecondary teachers may need work experience in their field of expertise.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Doctoral or professional degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as social work teachers, postsecondary.
- Doctoral Degree60.7%
- Master's Degree28.7%
- First Professional Degree6%
- Post-Doctoral Training4.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Doctoral Degree | 60.7% |
| Master's Degree | 28.7% |
| First Professional Degree | 6% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 4.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary do?
Teach courses in social work. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a variety of academic subjects beyond the high school level. They may also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books.
Day-to-day tasks
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, or handouts.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Collaborate with colleagues and community agencies to address teaching and research issues.
- Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
- Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
- Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most postsecondary teachers work full time, although part-time work is common. Postsecondary teachers who work part time may offer instruction at several colleges or universities. Some have a full-time job in their field of expertise in addition to a part-time teaching position. For example, an active lawyer or judge might teach an evening course at a law school.
College and university courses are generally during the day, although some are offered in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate students who have jobs or other obligations.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking4.6
- Learning Strategies4.3
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Writing4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Active Learning4.0
- Monitoring3.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.6 |
| Learning Strategies | 4.3 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Instructing4.8
- Social Perceptiveness3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Coordination3.5
- Service Orientation3.3
- Systems Analysis3.1
- Systems Evaluation3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Instructing | 4.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 |
| Coordination | 3.5 |
| Service Orientation | 3.3 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Computer based training software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Internet browser software
- Optical character reader OCR or scanning software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 4 |
| Social | 7 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Social7.0
- Investigative5.0
- Artistic3.9
- Conventional3.0
- Enterprising2.9
- Realistic2.2
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary
O*NET related occupations
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$75,870median a year
Most earn $48K to $131K
+2.4%Doctorate - Educational Instruction and Library
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More educational instruction and library careers
Median annual pay, with social work teachers, postsecondary highlighted
- Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary$80,250
- Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary$77,570
- Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$74,260
- Librarian$68,270
- Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School$66,270
- Kindergarten Teacher$62,680
- Library Technician$44,580
- Tutor$43,350
- Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education$38,140
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary | $80,250 |
| Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary | $77,570 |
| Special Education Teacher, Secondary School | $74,260 |
| Librarian | $68,270 |
| Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School | $66,270 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $62,680 |
| Library Technician | $44,580 |
| Tutor | $43,350 |
| Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education | $38,140 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary appears on
Questions
Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary: frequently asked questions
How much do Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary make?
Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $77,570 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 52% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. The middle half earn between $61,170 and $100,400. The top 10% earn $126,790 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary?
Yes, and beyond a bachelor's: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry requirement for Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 60.7% hold doctoral degree.
Is Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 2.6% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary do?
Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a variety of academic subjects beyond the high school level. A core O*NET task: initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions. Employers most often ask for Document management software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary the most?
The highest state medians for Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary are Hawaii ($133,340), Kansas ($108,610), Delaware ($100,550) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary?
O*NET scores Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary highest on the Social, Investigative and Artistic interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENFP, ENFJ, INFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.